


The Pigeon and the Crow

by HermesSerpent



Category: SCP Foundation
Genre: Apologies, Cursing in later chapters, Existential Crisis, Isolation, Mental Breakdown, OOC, Stress, Written Just For Fun, actually more than one - Freeform, but i star out letters, but thats a bit later, cause it makes me sorta uncomfortable, cross testing, im not sure what im doing, im pretty sure on that, meeting new people, oh!, scps interacting, themes of depression
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:35:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 29,882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27625484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HermesSerpent/pseuds/HermesSerpent
Summary: Cross testing SCPs is a potentially dangerous experiment, but the Foundation feels that it is worth it to find out more about 049 and 049-J. How odd it is to have two plague doctors with different temperaments. Do they have any connections? Time to find out!HI! Yeah um. This is kinda serious kinda dumb. I am not gonna get the characterizations right, but I really really wanted to try my hand with my two favorite bird bois. I havent seen any stories about these two meeting, so I’m filling that niche.ALSO HISTORICAL INACCURACY WARNING:bird doctor outfits with the beak, from my research, were invented in 1600's; 1630 specifically. But I didn't know that when I planned out the backstories for both 049 and 049-J. I put them in the 1300s in the medieval times and the first major bad plague (after the Justinian one) And I'm keeping it that way. Apologies to fellow history nerds.
Comments: 107
Kudos: 99





	1. Chapter 1

SCP 049-J, or as he prefers in his inner monolog, Jay, wiggles his hands a little against the bindings around his wrists. They were taking him to some sort of test. The plague doctor wonders if they are going to ask him to perform his wondrous curing method, but shrugs away the idea knowing that he had been banned from his profession due to the last curing ending... messily. He vaguely feels relief at not having his skills questioned repeatedly, even if he is sad not to be helping patents. Tests now mostly pertained to his body structure and his ability to cure himself of being trapped. Neither of which he really could elaborate to the “doctors” verbally. It is odd that they had increased his security detail for this particular journey, but not insurmountable if he wanted to remove himself. His mind wanders as he walks past dozens of doors in silence. He privately mourns the loss of his last pointy doctor stick, having had it confiscated the day prior. He would need to pick up a new one the next time he left. He blinks himself back to the present as the group stops in front of a door. One of the guards enters a code and they enter.

The small plague doctor tilts his head slightly as they pass by a few observing scientists and then enter through another door. The moss being bites down a startled trill with little success at the sight of a taller plague doctor chained to a table with guards holding poles attached to a collar. The taller being regards him with piercing yellow eyes and 049-J feels judgment settling over him. Oddly enough it reminds him of old doctor friends he had accompanied long ago, a weird comfort. A voice instructs the small plague doctor to sit at the table and he does so feeling the yellow eyes scanning him. He gives a small wave across the table swinging his legs a little in the awkward silence. The voice crackles into the room again.

“049. Do you sense any “pestilence” from 049-J?”

The taller doctor tilts his head and leans forwards with eyes narrowed in interest. Jay feels a little offended.

“I am a doctor.”

He mumbles, looking away while fiddling with his hands. The other doctor hums.

“No. He is clean. Absolutely clean of the pestilence. You say that you are a doctor?”

Jay starts swinging his legs again, feeling nerves bubble up. He knows the derision that his statement has brought from the foundation’s doctors. He bobs his head.

“Yes. Hmm, I am a doctor. I have the cure.”

He mumbles curling a little into himself under the intense stare. It is becoming far too uncomfortable. He might need to cure himself of being stuck at this table.

“Really?”

The other doctor asks sounding curious. 

“SCP 049, disregard his statement. Have you ever met SCP 049-J before this cross-test?”

“No. We have never met. What is this cure you speak of?”

The other SCP tilts his head while leaning a little more forward, halted by the collar. Jay pulls his legs up to rest his beak on them, rocking slightly. Despite enjoying the familiar sight of another wearing a mask, having to perform would surely have the other getting mad at him. 

“SCP 049 disregard that statement. SCP 049-J is incapable of curing anything.”

Jay recognizes that voice as Dr. Baker, who had conducted many of his interviews. He fiddles with his gloves, wishing for his doctor’s stick to swing about. Perhaps it is time to vacate himself from this situation. The other doctor leans back with slight irritation in his eyes as he glances over at the two-way mirror.

“Similar things have been said of me, but I am closer to curing the pestilence than any of your so-called “doctors”.”

The last part is said with obvious disdain. Jay feels very awkward and decides it’s time to beat a hasty retreat. 

“Oh look, pestilence over there!”

Everyone in the room turns to the far corner and he slips away, already planning to pick up a very sharp doctor’s stick. The small doctor leaves behind a frantic security team and a very curious SCP.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> art from my tumblr


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> weiß-white

SCP 049 absently taps his desk, mind-twisting around his encounter with the small doctor. He finds himself rather miffed that the other had simply vanished before he had the opportunity to question about the cure that the other had. Whatever it was, it had managed to keep the tiny doctor healthy. He tilts his head as closes his notebook, having nothing new to add. Perhaps if he expressed enough interest, the “doctors” would allow him to see the other SCP, or perhaps see some of the notes they might have on the other. He rises from his seat and paces the room, thinking through the situation. The foundation was hesitant to let him experiment, which had led to a halt in his research. He feels agitation in his stomach letting it show through narrowed eyes and slightly faster steps. Handling irritation is one of his weaknesses, he freely admits. The speaker crackles, bringing him to a pause.

“SCP 049, is there something wrong?”

It is not out of concern for his well being that the question is asked, the doctor can tell that much from the tone of voice. 

“I… I am anxious to meet with the small doctor once more. It is not often I run into someone so entirely devoid of the pestilence.”

There. Enough interest to cause a stir among his observers. He can almost hear their thoughts twirling, trying to find a way to take advantage of his curiosity. 

“We might be able to arrange something, in exchange for something from you. I will need to speak to the higher-ups.”

“But of course.”

The doctor settles on the cot in the corner of his room, lifting a book he had left there with half-hearted interest. That was all he could do for now. He goes back to absently taping, but this time on the edges of the book, eyes blurring the words as he loses himself to thoughts once more.

\------------------------------------------

Jay trills softly to himself as he looks through the picture book while laying on the floor of his cell. He had never really gotten the hang of reading, despite his doctor friend’s attempts long ago, and he finds himself wishing he had been able to grasp the meaning of squiggles now that he is in a boring chamber with little to do. But the squiggles had never matched up quite right with the spoken words and he had to rely on the images to reveal the story. He sucks on his water while flipping to the next bright image. When he had first arrived at this place, they had given him thick books with jumbled letters and barely any pictures. They had been under the impression that he was like his old friends, an avid reader, a notion he had cured them of after using the books as a stacking game to entertain himself. He sighs at the page, rubbing his beak forlornly. He had been banned from his bag for a week and his doctor’s stick for a week added to the existing ban because he had cured himself of chains. It was not fair and left him anxious and bored. 

Jay taps the image on the page, vaguely thinking about the injustice of it all. He had really not enjoyed the agitation that his meeting with the taller doctor had inspired. It made him fidgety and nervous even now. But, he could not deny the pleasantness of the familiar sight of a beak adorning the face of a doctor. He lets out a sadder trill as he thinks back on memories that he would normally not dwell on. To dwell on the dead is not healthy, or at least that is what his friends had told him so very very long ago before they too were snatched away by sickness. 

\----

The small doctor swings his legs as he sits across from an interviewer, listening to their questions.

“You seemed surprised when you first saw 049. Why was that?”

“I am a doctor.”

“Yes. That doesn’t answer the question.”

Jay almost wishes he could just force the other to understand him but the last attempt to do that had gotten him bound up for a while. He works his way through the answer with stutters and soft clicks watching the interviewer to see if his meaning was clear.

“I am a doctor. He is a doctor. His,” Jay finds the word escaping him and begins tapping his beak to make the point, “is like Enderlyn’s, pointy, weiß. But his,” Jay vaguely gestures to his eyes and then the rest of his body, “wrong. But maybe he has the cure? He is a doctor.”

The interviewer leans forward with interest and scribbles something down.

“Who was Enderlyn?”

“A doctor.”

This gets him an exacerbated look.

“Yes, yes. But what else besides that. Were they like you?”

Jay considers the question and shakes his head.

“I have the cure. He did not. But he almost did, sometimes. He was big. He had a doctor’s stick. I want my doctor’s stick”

He says the last part with a bit of a grumble still upset about the ban. The researcher scribbles more down while rolling his eyes at the last statement.

“So he was human.”

Jay nods.

“He was a doctor.”

“Right. I think that wraps things up for today.”

Jay feels sort of sad to see the other go in spite of the intrusive questions. He sort of missed company.

“Can I see the doctor?”

The interviewer pauses.

“You want to see SCP 049 again?”

Jay nods and fiddles with his gloves.

“Why? You fled containment last time. I hardly think it’s a good idea to have a repeat.”

Jay blinks at them and straightens his robes. Honestly, he just wants to see the familiar-looking sight of a beak again.

“I like… doctors.”

He nods at this proclamation that earns him a raised eyebrow.

“Despite being a horrible doctor?”

Jay squawks in offense and wacks the table with his hands.

“Alright! Sorry! Jeez. But really, you fled before.”

“There was pestilence in the room.”

The interviewer raises an eyebrow.

“Right. I’ll ask but I wouldn’t be too hopeful. Keep out of trouble and stop escaping for a while and we’ll see.”

The small doctor nods and then retreats to his cot where a good long sleep after curing the interviewer’s curiosity awaited him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay. So this idea was looping in my head while studying for finals, so I wrote it out a little to ease my thoughts. And now I’ve got some threads to create a whole elaborate backstory for scp 049-j. I’ve seen it for scp 049, but not for the small doctor, so here we go. Watch out for the random other languages he tosses in, cause that’s all based on this story that is slowly forming in my head. Do I know where this all is going? No. but hey, it’ll be fun getting there where ever that is.   
> Oh! I almost forgot. Tumblr plug time: I’m hermesserpent-stuff over on tumblr if you want to talk or yell at me. I make art and sometimes post random thoughts.   
> Have a good day!!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> augen- eyes-german  
> Yeux- eyes-french  
> Tres- three -latin  
> Es tu blennus- you are a blockhead-latin  
> Ita vero- a very strong agreement or yes.-latin  
> petit docteur- small doctor-french  
> Und ihnen?- and you (formal you)-german

SCP 049 watches as they bring the small doctor once more into his presence. The other scp sits on the opposite end of the table and blinks up at him. 

“SCP 049-J. We’d like you to answer a few questions.”

The little bird nods, fiddling with his gloves.

“You said that SCP 049’s beak reminded you of Enderlyn. Does he remind you of anything else?”

SCP 049 tilts his head with narrowed eyes, wondering absently why the Foundation was using him to try to discover the small doctor’s past. Was the other incapable of talking about it without visual cues? Or had the other been selective about it, as he had been? Getting into another’s personal history is a little too intrusive for his own liking. The small doctor nods and then moves his hands.

“He is a doctor.”

“Yes, we know that.”

He sees the small doctor have a flash of irritation that vanishes.

“His augen? Yeux? Hmmm. Yes. They are pointy, like Amis’s.”

“And Amis was a human, not like you?”

“He was a doctor.”

SCP 049 leans slightly forward, somewhat peeved to be talked round and not to, as if he were some so sort of furniture.

“Did you travel with many doctors?”

He asks directly, and the smaller being nods looking a bit excited.

“Yes! Tres. They were doctors. Didn't let me cure often,” this is said with a bit of a pouty tone, “But they let me watch them work!”

“I see. The last time we met you said you had a cure. Is it for the pestilence?”

The other fiddles with his gloves at the question and glances at the mirror. SCP 049 can see that this line of questioning might lead to another sudden vanishing. Though, based on the conversation, he is growing more sure of the idea that this individual, while a doctor, may not actually have the true cure. Indeed, he himself did not have it. He did wonder, however, how they kept themselves from contamination. 

“Yes?”

The answer sounds unsure and the small doctor begins to rifle through his bag. A voice comes across the speaker.

“SCP 049-J, what are you doing?”

The small doctor lets out an annoyed huff as he keeps digging.

“I have the cure.”

The other SCP then pulls out a shoe, that has dried blood on it. Then he reaches back into the bag. He pulls out a jar with leeches. Another couple of seconds and the small doctor has managed to pull out a knife, a bowl, and a smooth pebble.

“Cures.”

The other doctor says with a hint of pride before carefully pushing them to the center of the table. SCP 049 can feel the guards tensing at the sight of a weapon but no one steps forward. The scientists must want to see his reactions. He reaches out to the objects just within his reach and begins to examine them with some interest, to see if they will clue him into the mind of the other doctor. The other blinks at him as he hums. 

“I haven't seen leeches in a while. These all seem like good tools to balance the humors. Have you used these?”

“Yes!”

The other nods, relaxing somewhat. 049 closely inspects the little jar. The creatures within seem healthy enough, for leeches. He inspects the bowl, which has some stains, probably from blood. He then lifts the pebble.

“That is magic.”

The small doctor trills swinging his legs. 

“Oh?”

He balances it in his hand. The other offers no further explanation. 

“SCP 049-J has claimed to be a magical doctor wizard. He has never displayed an ability to perform magic.”

A new voice says, causing the taller doctor to glance back over at the smaller SCP. 

“Es tu blennus, Dr. Baker.”

SCP 049 is startled to hear the language of academics and lets out a small chuckle while replying.

“Ita vero.”

The small doctor beams at him with his eyes and SCP 049 pushes all of the items back towards him. SCP 049-J tucks them into his bag, except for the pebble, which he slides back.

“To ward of the pestilence.”

049 takes the pebble back and tries to discern what might make it magical. It feels rather ordinary to him. A simple white, smooth pebble, likely from the bottom of a stream. 

“Do you not need it?”

“Nope! I have more of the cure.”

The small doctor pulls out another pebble, a grey one this time and then drops it back down into his bag. 049 nods and closes his hand around the pebble. He plans to conduct some testing on it later but finds his fingers sliding across the smooth surface in his palm oddly comforting. 

“SCP 049-J time is up.”

The other stands, looking a little sad.

“Can I come back?” 

The words are said with a hopeful trill.

“I would not be opposed to more time in your company, petit docteur. I think you would make a good assistant.”

There. Perhaps that last bit would spark enough of the Foundation's curiosity to allow him to see the little doctor once more, and perhaps allow him to experiment. The doctor claps his hands and bobs his head.

“I would like that.”

“By what shall I call you?"

"Jay! Und ihnen?"

"Whatever you wish."

"Doctor then."

SCP 049 finds a little smile slipping onto his face as the small being exits his chamber. He is released from his chains and moves over to his notebook to scribble down some observations. He keeps the pebble in his hand running his fingers across the surface while thinking. 

\-----

Jay bounces around his room stepping in time to a song that is on loop in his head. The scientists had offered him a new food to find its effect on him, something they did fairly often with various effects. This was some sort of bitter dark "chocolate". It was unlike other food he had had before and made his insides rattle. The clicking of the small beaks beneath his robes seemed to unnerve the scientists. From his understanding of time, this was the third day straight that he had been dancing and leaping about. He claps his hands as the mental song loops again and he hums along, twisting around the room once more. He should probably be concerned about the lack of sleep, but he cannot find it in himself to care beyond dancing and humming. He does wish that there was some real music and not the half-remembered tunes of festivals that had played to break through the desperation of sickness and death. His mind alights on another tune and he moves to the remnants, lost in the vivid thrawls of memories that whisper sweet moments to him. This is far better than the time he had apple slices, which had made him sick, but not quite as nice as baked bread, which left him pleasantly happy. A while later he collapses to the cot in a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second meeting! And just a glimpse at what the small doctor has in his bag. Honestly I couldn’t stop thinking about that clip with a child, where a woman says “what do you have?” “A knife!” “No!” when Jay pulled a knife. Anywho, I’m making it a private cannon where different foods impact Jay in wildly different ways. This is one of the main reasons apples can be used against him with great effect in combat.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Salve- hello  
> petit docteur- small doctor- french

The small doctor fights down a yawn, walking down the hall. It had been about a week since the “chocolate experiment”. Despite the time passed weariness still wraps around him like a thick blanket. But he is currently hiding it, wanting to be allowed to see Doctor. He blinks with a little surprise at the changed situation in the room. This time the table is turned lengthwise, with a small stool on one side and Doctor standing on the other. The body of a small animal is brought in alongside him. A monkey of some sort? Jay is unsure. He is led to the stool that allows him to comfortably observe the table. He steps onto it and looks down at the table where researchers have placed the monkey thing. There is also a doctor's bag on the table, partially open. He looks up at the taller doctor.

“Salve. How are you, Doctor?”

“I am well. Very interested in conducting my research today. Would you assist me, Jay?”

“Yes!”

He chirps, gently resting his hands against the table to keep his balance, fighting down another yawn. The taller arranges the dead thing carefully and then asks for Jay to reach into his bag. The small doctor does so and pulls out a sharp scalpel. He puts it on the table between them and Doctor nods before lifting it up. The taller begins working and Jay watches with avid interest, quite used to being an observer. He pushes away his weariness, standing at attention and reaching in the bag whenever he is asked to.

\---------------

049 watches the smaller doctor out of the corner of his eye, partially focused on his work but also trying to figure out the best time to try his other experiment. He had been wondering since his initial observation of the petit docteur. The tall SCP had come across those with little pestilence before, but never any with absolutely none. His touch had brought down even the healthiest, to his own regret He finds himself morbidly curious to see if he could reach out and touch the other. He had been warned against touching others by the researchers, warned of harsh severe punishments. But he has to know. He desperately has to know. His inquisitive mind does not like unanswered questions. 049 makes sure that he is making no outward moves to warn the scientists. He requests another item from his bag and deliberately reaches out as the small doctor puts the item on the table. His hand presses against the other and he freezes, waiting. Jay looks at him. The guards freeze. The intercom crackles. And nothing happens. He feels bolder. He taps the smaller’s beak. This gets him a blink and then a yawn sounds out from under the mask. 

He does not know what to do with this information. He is not sure that anyone knows what to do. The little one sways slightly. All eyes are intent on him. But Jay seems unaware.

“Apologies. I am a bit not awake.”

“It's quite alright. Would you like to sit?”

“Hmmm. I'm a doctor. Yes. I don't wanna… break your cure.”

“I don’t think you sitting will bring my work to ruin. Want to come over here, petit docteur?”

The small doctor nods and gets off of the stool to walk around the table. The researchers do nothing still, though the guards are holding much more tightly to their weaponry. Jay stands at his side and raises his arms, the gesture only vaguely familiar to the doctor, tickling at a past memory. He reaches down and lifts the other beneath the arms to sit on the table, distanced a little from the corpse. He notes the lightness of the other. 049 hands Jay his bag and the small doctor holds it in his lap. The little doctor continues to give him tools, swinging his legs and looking fairly relaxed. He makes noises of interest every once and a while but does nothing to disrupt the other’s work. 049 wraps up his work fairly quickly and replaces his tools back into his bag. Jay yawns and mutters quietly. 049 watches him with some curiosity, moving away from the corpse. According to his agreement with the Foundation to get visitation from Jay, it would be taken away to be tested so there is nothing else to learn from it. 

“Do you have the magical pebble?”

Jay asks while looking up at him. 049 nods, pulling the pebble from his bag. The small doctor nods, looking tired but pleased. 

“Good.”

A voice then crackles over the speaker.

“Alright. It's time for SCP 049-J to leave.”

The small doctor hisses out a sigh and then lifts his arms. 049 hooks his hands under the small doctor's arms and gently lifts him up. The smaller taps the white beak with a soft trill.

“Stay healthy Doctor.”

“I will. Come back again. You made a good assistant.” 

He places the doctor onto the ground and watches as he is led away by guards. 

\--------------------------------------------------

“Why did you pick up SCP 049-J?”

“He could not assist me from the floor. He was weary and needed to sit. What else would you have me do?”

“You do recognize that your actions are in flagrant disregard of the set rules we had. You could have killed him.”

SCP 049 leans back in offense and lets silence slide over the room. The interviewer sighs.

“Did you know that he wouldn’t die?”

“He is clean of the pestilence.”

“Okay. But did you know your touch would have no impact?”

049 glances away and sighs.

“I wasn’t entirely confident. It was a hypothetical. I did hope…”

His words trail off. The scientist shifts uncomfortably. 

“Okay. I was also told to ask for the “magic” pebble.”

049 stiffens and tightens his fist around the item, which he had held onto since the small doctor had left.

“No.”

“We need to conduct tests on it.”

049 hisses. The researcher leans back, a spark of fear crossing their face.

“No. It has no magical properties. There is nothing to research.”

“Noncompliance will lead to consequences. We will probably have to cancel any potential future visits.”

A brief flutter of panic. He was loathe to release it, the small doctor so sure of its benefits. He growls lowly before gently placing the pebble on the table, eyes narrowed in displeasure.

“I would like it returned.”

“We’ll do our best.”

He rolls his eyes with disdain. The promises of the Foundation were only trustworthy when it came to offers of punishment, and only then when they felt it would further their cause. He would likely never see the small stone again; the thought causes the oddest of pains in his chest. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Imagine being able to touch someone else for the first time in centuries. Oof. Also, magic pebble!!!! It is very important. Very magic. Very pebble.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Calme-toi- calm down -french  
> Utinam barbari spatium proprium eorum invadant- may barbarians invade their personal space. -latin  
> weiß-white-german  
> petit docteur- small doctor-french

Jay focuses carefully on the lines in front of him, coloring within them with the crayons he had been provided. They had deemed color pencils to be too deadly of a weapon to freely provide him, so the small doctor works what he has. He hums quietly as he shades the edges, intent on making it as nice as he can, vaguely really tall stain glass lighting floors in a vivid array of colors. He lets out a strangled screech when his door is opened and he startles. Doctor Baker blinks at him.

“You’re going over for a visit with SCP 049.”

“Doctor! Mmh. Yes.”

He tucks the crayons back into their box and closes the book, slipping them into his bag. He then holds out his hands to allow his arms to get locked up. It had been a while since he had last seen the taller SCP. Maybe six weeks? Time is difficult to figure out in a place like this. He had cured himself of imprisonment about four weeks back and had been informed that his consequence for this was that he could not see the larger doctor for a while. He feels very excited. As he walks down the hall with the guards, Dr. Baker begins speaking.

“049 has been agitated for the last couple of days. I figure even you deserve a bit of a warning.”

He trills low in recognition. The small doctor fiddles with his gloves nervously, thinking back on the times Amis had gotten angry. He had learned some colorful phrases on those occasions. They unlock his cuffs before he enters the room and hand him his doctor stick, “for safety”. While he appreciates having it back, he is pretty sure it would be ineffectual against the tall doctor. He sucks in a breath as they open the door and then shove him in. 

The room is a disaster zone with books and vials tossed about the floor. Ink is splattered across random surfaces. Doctor is standing in the corner, hands shakily holding onto a notebook as he mumbles and growls. His once pristine beak is marred by ink. His eyes are stained red with lack of sleep. The small doctor feels a small amount of fear. He breathes deeply and then lets out a loud squawk, drawing attention to himself. The taller blinks up at him, form shaking. The small doctor straightens his back, readying his stick.

“I do not want to cure you. You are a doctor.”

He threatens, pointing it violently at the other. The taller slowly blinks at him. Jay lets out a soft trill as he walks closer. 

“I am a doctor. Sit down!” 

He pokes at the other’s knees. Doctor looks confused but takes the hand offered to him. Jay drags him to the cot and then pushes him down. 

“Do you have the magical pebble?”

The SCP stares at him with a forlorn look coming over his face. There is a hint of tears.

“No. They took it.”

The other grows agitated again, growling. He curls his hand into a fist. Jay clicks in irritation, knowing the Foundation’s penchant for robbery. 

“Calme-toi. I have more cure.”

He murmurs reaching into his bag and pulling out a grey pebble, which he pushes into the other’s hands. He reaches into his bag and pulls out a small jar with lavender water and a small rag. He begins cleaning the other’s beak, gentle and slow. Jay had done this hundreds of times with his past doctor friends, removing blood and other substances from their beaks. Doctor breaths slowly, rubbing the stone between his fingers. He begins talking as Jay washes. 

“I am unable to get past this blockade to my research. They will not allow me what I need to continue.”

Jay pats his shoulder sympathetically, recalling a phrase Enderlyn had favored.

“Utinam barbari spatium proprium eorum invadant.”

Doctor startles and snorts.

“I would not be opposed if that happened.”

Jay bobs his head. The other starts talking again, quiet complaints about his situation. Jay quietly listens and cleans. The other seems to be going through some sort of extreme mental break. He had seen stuff like this before in the other doctors. It came with the territory, or at least that is what Jay assumes. He leans back slightly once the beak is clean and pats it gently.

“All weiß.”

“Thank you, petit docteur. I do apologize for my outburst, it was unprofessional.”

“You are a doctor.”

He pats the other again with a small shrug and then looks at the cluttered room after storing the jar and rag away. Doctor looks out at the room and then rises slowly.

“I should straighten up.”

Jay reaches out and takes his hand startling Doctor into looking down at him. 

“I am the cure.”

Jay states. The other stares at him for a few seconds.

“Do you wish to help?”

The small doctor feels excited at someone understanding and nods his head. Doctor squeezes his hand and then sets about cleaning the room lifting books back onto shelves. Jay bounces around helping. Doctor takes items from his hands and slips them onto the higher shelves. Nothing can be done about the ink stains so the two ignore them. Doctor then settles at his desk and Jay settles on the floor beside his chair with a soft trill. He sees that the taller is holding onto the grey pebble in his left hand. He adjusts himself so that he could hold onto it with his own left. He pulls out his coloring book and crayons and begins working on the picture he had not finished. Occasionally, Doctor would say something and Jay would chatter back. The other yawns a little and Jay glances up at him.

“I am fine Jay. Lavender has a tendency to make me drowsy.”

“Sorry.”

Jay mumbles and Doctor pats his head.

“No apologies are necessary, petit docteur. You helped me realize I was being unreasonably angry.”

Jay hums. They spend a while longer in this calm, both working individually. Doctor slowly nods off, falling asleep on the desk. Once the other has been asleep for a while door opens and Jay is forced to leave.

\-----

The Foundation decides that the visits between the two doctors should be at regular intervals to keep both calm and more likely to stay within containment. They also decide that the removal of these visits as a consequence of SCP 049-J breaking containment is no longer acceptable. Other consequences would need to be implemented in its place. SCP 049 would be allowed to keep the new pebble as the other had been found to hold no traces of anything, and it seemed to calm the SCP while SCP 049-J is not present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! Jay helping 049. I had fun with this chapter lol. Thanks for reading!! Im not sure were we are going but eh. Itll be fun getting there!!! Also Im probably going to doodle Jay’s old plague friends on my tumblr, if any one would be interested?


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gut! Und ihnen- good! and you? (Formal you) German  
> Et Français- and french? -French  
> audax-brave- daring- latin

  
  


049 lifts the small doctor to sit on the table near the new corpse that he had been given to work on. The little doctor holds assists by handing over tools as 049 needs them. The tall doctor begins to quietly talk to the other.

“How are you today, petit docteur?”

“I am gut! Und ihnen??”

“I am well. Where did you learn Deutsch?”

“Enderlyn. He was a doctor!”

049 nods. 

“Et Français?”

“Amis. He was also a doctor.”

“How about English?”

“Edmund. He was a doctor. Better at curing than Amis but not as,” the small doctor pauses searching for a word, “audax? Brave? No. No-no. Ummm. Risky! Not as risk-taking as Enderlyn. His beak was brown.”

049 tilts his head, curious about his companion’s history.

“And who taught Latin?”

“All. They chattered to each other, most often at the start of our journey. Hard to understand a word, not from home.”

“And what is your “home” language?”

The small doctor kicks his legs.

“The four. All of them. What is yours?”

Ah, only fair he responds in kind when information is so freely given.

“French. But I learned many during my travels around Europe.”

The small doctor nods. 049 presses down on his syringe, injecting some of his cure, curious to see if it will work. The small doctor leans over to look.

“Cure?”

“I certainly hope so. But only time will be able to tell. I am done with this creature. It needs a while for the mixture to sink in.”

He addresses the window. 049 backs away, compliant with the request of the scientists. They come in and remove the body. Then they bring in a man dressed in orange on a bed. 049 watches with interest.

“049-J. We would like you to cure this man. He has a headache and a stuffy nose, likely a cold.”

The small doctor tilts his head at the window.

“You want cure?”

“Yes. 049, please observe, we will be asking questions about it later.”

049 watches as the small doctor hops of the table and moves to the patient. He can sense the pestilence in the orange wearing man. Jay reaches into his bag mumbling incoherently and sweating with what 049 assumes is nerves. He pulls out a shoe with a pleased trill and makes some sort of motions over the man. Jay then slams it into the patient’s head. 049 blinks as the patient’s head is destroyed, with blood splattering out. Ah. He now understands the Foundation’s statements that his companion was unable to cure anything. He winces at the next shoe strike as his companion shrieks a little. He almost steps forward, but the collar stops him

“The patent is cured.”

Jay announces with a satisfied nod, gesturing with the shoe. He then glances at 049 and a look of nervousness floats across his eyes. 

“I see.”

And in that moment, he did. The small was not truly a doctor. Should never be trusted with patients alone. But the smaller had said it himself, the other doctors had not let him cure often. Probably only in very specific circumstances. He made a wonderful assistant, never questioning 049’s methods like the foundation did. But this small being had no true cure. 

“049. Please examine the patient.”

He is allowed to move forward now. Silently he presses his hand against their caved skull and looks over the work. He then turns to Jay. The small doctor is fidgeting and looks ready to attempt another escape attempt.

“This is not unsalvageable.”

“Excuse me what?”

The voice, which 049 suspects is the infamous Dr. Baker, asks sounding both offended and shocked. 049 holds out a hand and Jay comes to his side. He lifts him up to sit on the bed of the patient. 

“When applying your cure, stop before you reach this point. But, I can work with this to remove the pestilence.”

He begins working, more than a little pleased to be working on a human body again. The small doctor leans over the body and he begins to whisper instructions, aware that the Foundation wants his secrets and that it would drive them mad trying to find out what he is saying. Half of it is whispers about tools and how to hold them. Jay bobs his head as 049 murmurs. When he finishes he lifts the small doctor up and places him back down onto the ground. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of the reason that Jay uses such simple language and repeats a lot of words is because he has four different words battling to be spoken to describe something. After studying Latin, I really had this problem in german class. Top this off with the doctors who raised him only being able to brokenly speak each other’s language and the fact that he was found after the initial learning period, where the sounds are integrated as a babe, you got a stuttering Jay who sounds a little dumb but is really trying his best out here. Plus all those syllables cant be easy for a moss creature whose native tongue is chirps, tweets, and shrieks. Any way. I might be a bit biased in how I had 049 react to the cure, but the man can straight up kill people with his hands. So I figure the mess would be the part he takes the most issue with. I dunno.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> schauspieler-actor- german  
> Dracones Curans- Curing dragons-latin  
> Bayern- location in germany  
> Herr-mr- german

Jay rocks back and forth as he stands in front of a new door. This was not Doctor’s room. He shifts nervously as the scientist warns him against touching the SCP that was in the room beyond. Apparently, they wanted to see the response of the other to him. Was it another doctor? Warily, he steps forwards as the door opens, eyes trailing along the black goop covered walls. He then spots a figure seated at a table, wearing an ornate mask. Black ooze dribbles down their features. They tilt their head.

“Oh, hello! Who might you be?”

Jay shifts on his feet.

“I am a doctor.”

“I can see that. You look like 049.”

Jay brightens at this.

“You know Doctor?”

“Indeed I do! We were travel companions.”

Jay moves to the chair and sits, calming at the thought that this strange being had been companions with Doctor.

“I am Jay! Are you a, uh,” Jay searches for a word to describe his thought, several fighting for a position, “Schauspieler? Actor?”

“I am. The best there has ever been. Oh, how I miss the stage. If it weren’t for these four walls!”

Jay leans back at the lilting irritation. He swings his legs and finds his interest growing. 

“Do… Can you tell a play?”

“Do you mean perform, little one?”

“Yes! That one! This is no stage. But I want to see. Please.”

“Hmm. Did they not send you in here to interrogate me?”

The small doctor blinks and narrows his eyes in thought thinking back. They had asked him to ask some questions but he genuinely could not remember. He chooses to be truthful.

“Maybe? But I want to see a play!”

He insists and then pulls back on his demanding tone, recalling many many lessons on politeness.

“Please?”

“Sure. Why not? I do enjoy stories and those ***wipes make a terrible audience.”

The small doctor nods in understanding. The Foundation was no friend of his. The masked figure rises and moves into a more open part of the cell. Jay shoves his chair so that he can comfortably sit and watch. The mask bends his head and the room darkens a little. He then begins to speak, drawing the small doctor into the story. The mask moves about changing his voice with each character. Jay watches on with amazement, gasping at the action and drama. The mask swings his body about building the tension of the story. As the story begins to truly get started, the speaker crackles with Dr. Baker's voice.

“049-J. Please return to questioning and desist this line of action.”

Jay pouts.

“I want to see the play! Questions are boring!”

The mask snarls at the window.

“Excuse you, I was in the midst of a story! I’ll deal with your petty questions later. Now kindly shut up!”

Jay flinches at the yell. He begins fiddling with his gloves as silence prevails. 

“Now, where were we? Ah yes!”

The mask picks the play back up and Jay settles down a little bit. He is slightly disconcerted by the black goop dripping down the mask’s face, but does not let it detract from the enjoyment of the play. At the end, after the king has stabbed out his own eyes and the play comes to a close, Jay claps his hands, standing. The mask bows.

“That was quite nice. Very satisfying being able to perform again.”

He says with a grin. 

“It was good!”

“Why thank you, Jay. It's nice to see that there are people out there who still can appreciate art!” 

The mask says with a purr. Jay freezes as the speaker crackles again.

“Are you willing to answer questions now 035?”

“Sure, why not?” 

The mask moves back to the table and Jay pushes his chair back and settles down back into it. Jay swings his legs and glances at the window, hoping that they remembered the questions. 

“035, have you ever seen 049-J before this cross test.”

The mask tilts his head.

“Nope. I have seen and heard on many doctor’s but I don’t think I’ve met Jay before.”

“During your time with 049, did you hear of a group of four doctors with persons named, Edmund, Amis, Enderlyn, and Jay?”

“Nope! Although… Did your troupe have a name?”

The mask asks Jay who blinks and then answers.

“We were the Dracones Curans. We were doctors. We spent a lot of time in Bayern.”

“Oh? How fun! I think I might have heard whispers. But we’ve never crossed paths.”

Jay nods in agreement. He clicks and then taps the table.

“Did you…,” he tries to remember the word that the other used. “Perform? A lot?”

The mask nods, leaning back and draping an arm across the back of his chair. 

“Yes. All over! There was hardly a town I didn’t give a performance.”

“You know a lot of stories?”

Jay feels excited, eagerness leaking into his voice as he swings his legs.

“Yep! Do you like stories, little one?”

“Yes, yes yes!!” 

He leans forwards with a grin. The mask chuckles and kicks a leg up onto the table. Jay taps his fingers against the table as the mask seems to relax even further.

“I like... I would like to see more.”

Jay states, fiddling with his gloves.

“Mmm. Well if you visit again, I promise to perform again.”

The small doctor nods and then pulls his bag into his lap and begins to dig through it, searching for something. The mask watches silently with a feeling of confusion rolling off of him.

“Whatcha doing?”

Jay does not respond to the question reaching a little deeper. He then pulls out a black pebble, making a noise of triumph. He then puts it on the table and pushes it forward. 

“This is wards off pestilence. I am a doctor. This is magic.”

“Oh, thank you.”

The mask lifts up the smooth stone rolling a finger over it. Jay then blinks at the window as the speaker crackles. 

“It’s time to leave 049-J.”

“Aww, we were just getting to know each other.”

The mask pouts. Jay decides to break the rule and reaches forwards to pat the other being on the hand that is holding the stone.

“It will be okay. Stay well, Herr Mask.”

The being tilts his head and twists his hand so that the stone sits on his palm, resiting between their hands.

“I will Jay. Don’t let them get to you. I’ll keep an eye out for you, next breach.”

The small doctor nods with a smile and then backs away to the door, compliant with the Foundation's wishes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought that the meeting went rather well! 035 is a weird character to me; I’m probably not doing him justice. But honestly, I think he’s a bit salty about getting stuck in a crypt and then getting stuck in a cell. Boi just wants to perform. Also! I know that some writers with 035 will use they or shift depending on the host. I’m gonna go with he most of the time, as most death row inmates, statistically are male, with there being maybe 2% female the last time I looked at the figure. If he gets his hands on a female body the pronouns will change. But, again, it’s mostly male bodies, so Jay is gonna just call him Herr Mask (if it changes the name will shift to reflect this: Frau Mask.) Hope this all makes sense. Had a whole debate with a mirror over it.  
> Any ways thanks for reading!!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> amicus meus-my friend-latin

049 scratches down information in his notebook, rubbing his fingers across the smooth pebble. He glances around the empty room, finding himself a little bored. He rises and moves to the bookcase, scanning over the titles with little interest. Absently, he wonders what his small companion does in his free time. He lifts a book and begins flipping through the medical knowledge recorded there. For the first time in a long time, his mind shifts to his past and his time spent traveling. He settles onto his cot, trying to reach back as far as he could. He had said he had never met Jay before the foundation had introduced them, and he is sure of this, but he does wonder if he had heard of him in passing, with his doctor companions. 049 thinks back reaching back as far as he can. Things begin to get fuzzy and his head pounds. Why can he not recall his own name? The question hits him like a galloping horse. He had never really thought about it, but now, in trying to reflect on his past, he can see how very odd it is to not have one. Had he lost it while trying to find a cure? His research did have a tendency to overtake him and fill all of his thoughts.

Accept… That is not as true anymore. Now he would think of his little doctor friend and ponder over their ability to interact. It was odd. The smaller often would grab for his hands, hands that brought down even the cleanest. And there was no fear of his touch. Sure, during breaches the strange mask would poke, cling, and hug, but all these actions were not his to choose to interact with. Whether Jay was conscious of it or not, he was giving 049 the choice not to hold on, to not interact, to not pick up. The only time the other had forced something from him was to force him to sit during a moment of hysteria. The doctor then ponders further. Why was control of touch so important to him? He is unsure if he had always been this sensitive. His eyes drag across his hands, deep in thought. Why could he not remember clearly? His head starts to ache. He returns to his desk and lifts the pebble to begin rubbing it again. His headache ebbs as he stops trying to think through his past. Perhaps it is for the best that he has no recollection. But… what if it was important? What if he had seen and thought of something of worth? He flips his notebook to the very beginning, an action he had not taken in a very long time. His writing is there, clear and logical. It was time to see if he could drag his own memories back. 

\---------------------

049 listens as Jay chatters about his meeting with the mask, both resting on his cot. The small doctor is cleaning his “blood-cure” knife while 049 absently sketches on a loose piece of paper, diagraming the body of a human. He feels the back of his head itch a little and wonders when the last time he had smoothed and cleaned his feathers was. It had likely been a long time. When had he even gotten feathers? That was a distinctly inhuman trait. He had only gotten through a small part of the beginning of his journal, and there had yet to be a reference to anything that sparked his recollection. Jay trails off and tugs at his hand causing 049 to glance up. 

“Are you well?”

The small doctor asks with a soft trill, concern clear.

“My apologies, my, uh, feathers were irritating me and I got lost in my thoughts.”

He internally winces. Feathers were strange and not to be shared. Hidden. And yet he had just told the small doctor. 

“I can cure! I am a doctor.”

Jay says, asking for permission. 049 hesitates, having not shown anyone his feathers, or at least has no recollection of doing so. When had his memory begun to fail him? 

“I am not sure, amicus meus. It is not a normal operation.”

Jay stands and settles his hands on his hips.

“I am a doctor! I can heal.”

049 sighs, giving in.

“Alright. But only if you listen to me.”

The small doctor nods and 049 slips his hood down, letting his dark head feathers show. They were a mixture of dark colors, bordering on black with tints of blue, green, and purple. Some stuck up at odd angles. The small doctor moves to stand behind him and places his hands on top of them. He seems to be waiting for instruction. 

“Gently move your hands through. I think I might have a build-up of something, but there is not really a great way to get clean in here.”

Jay chirps in understanding and slowly begins to move his fingers through the feathers. 049 takes a deep breath as he does this, getting used to having someone messing with them. 

“A little more pressure.”

The hands become firmer moving down to massage his skull while straightening them. Jay begins to chatter again only pausing when 049 makes a noise of discomfort over an already damaged shaft that 049 then encourages him to work out of his head. The taller doctor realizes into the touches closing his eyes, listening to Jay relay the play he had seen. There is a gentle tickle that the story is one he had heard before. But he does not press his memory. He simply enjoys the feeling of his feathers getting cleaned and straightened. A few come out, damaged, but it makes his skin feel far less itchy. He hums, gently shifting into singing as Jay wraps up his story. The small doctor hums along as he works to fix the taller doctor’s feathers. At the end of their visit he thanks the other for his help. Jay shrugs and happily responds.

“It’s like cleaning beaks or hair. Sometimes doctors need other doctors.”

And with that, the small doctor leaves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small bonding timmmmeeee. I really like the idea of 049 heaving feathers. \0/


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ich vergesse! - I forget- german  
> C'est difficile!- It isdifficult -french  
> Je suis vraiment désolé- i am really sorry- french

Jay tilts his head as he is let back into the room with Herr Mask. He bounces to the seat across from the mask.

“Hello, little doctor! It is good to see you again.”

“Hello, Herr Mask!”

He chirps back with a smile. Jay leans forward a little.

“Do you have the magic cure?”

“Wha? Oh, right the pebble! Yep! Right here.”

The mask stands, walking over to the open glass container and picks up the stone. Jay nods, pleased with this. 

“They tried to take it, but I convinced them that was a terrible life choice.”

The mask says with a broad grin. Jay giggles, kicking his legs.

“So! Would you like to see another play? I spent a lot of time since your last one thinking of the perfect one.”

“Yes!”

“SCP 049-J, don’t forget the questions.”

The voice of a stranger crackles over the speaker, sounding a little irritated.

“Yes, yes. I am a doctor. After the story.”

Dr. Baker responds.

“That’s fine. Just don’t forget.”

Jay is pleasantly surprised. He guesses that Dr. Baker is in a better mood today than normal, especially compared to whomever the other doctor was. Maybe it is because he had not cured himself of being stuck within the facility as of late. Herr Mask rises and walks to where he had performed before. Jay drags his chair over and the goopy being begins to speak. Jay snickers at many of the jokes kicking his legs back and forth. At one point he breaks into full cackles at the ridiculousness going on within the story. Herr Mask pauses, seeming pleased as the small doctor tumbles from his chair. His insides begin to click at his amusement. 

“You good?”

Jay continues to click and gasp for breath for a couple more seconds before rising to his knees. Another giggle slips out.

“Yes. I am cured. Sorry.”

“It’s fine. Now,” he claps his hands, “on with the show!” 

After the mask finishes the story, they return to the table. Jay decides to start with a question of his own.

“You traveled with Doctor?”

“Yep!”

“Did you ever…,”Jay considers his words and taps the table a little anxiously, “did you cure his feathers? Of itch?”

“Hmm. I don’t think so. The good doctor having feathers is news to me.”

The other says, words curious in tone. Jay nods in understanding.

“I have a question for you though. What was up with the clicking?”

Jay blinks and glances at the window. He had been told never to remove his outer layer for fear of some sort of miasmal harm, which he normally is completely fine with. But, it is hard to explain his structure without showing it. Dr. Baker’s voice crackles out. 

“If you want to show 035, you have permission 049-J. Be careful; the black goop is corrosive to most other substances.”

The small doctor chirps and carefully lifts up the flap connecting his head covering to his robes, showing off the tissues, moss, and tiny beak. The mask sits straight and leans forward.

“That is rather odd.”

Jay smooths it back down. 

“I am a doctor.

“Yep. I can see that.”

There is a hint of a laugh hidden beneath the words. Jay trills lightly and bobs his head. He then works to recall any of the questions he is supposed to be asking. 

“Do you like music?”

An aggravated sigh comes over the speakers.

“SCP 049-J, that is not one of the questions.”

A doctor, not Dr. Baker, sounds very angry and irritated over the speaker. Jay scrunches up in his seat resting his beak on his knees.

“I dont! Ich vergesse! C'est difficile!”

He calls out mournfully and rubs at his beak. Herr Mask seems surprised at the shift in mood. Jay simply feels misery at his own failings. He should have not delayed asking questions based on a selfish desire to see a play. He knew that they probably would take away these visits if they did not go right. They might even go a step further and remove all kinds of visitation, even to Doctor. It is not that he does not want to comply! It is just that, sometimes, things were hard to recall. He squeezes his eyes to try and draw up one of the questions. His thoughts are interrupted by the mask slamming his hands on the table, causing Jay to blink open his eyes and flinch back. The black pits have a purple glow and the face is twisted down into a frown. He curls tighter into himself fear flying through his body.

“We are having a pleasant conversation. His questions are perfectly fine. Preferable to your inane chatterings trying to squeeze every last bit of information out of your victims. I’m sure your questions are soooo important, you weak, insignificant little specks of worthless life.”

Jay barely hears the words over the drumming fear pressing at him. He hated yelling, hated it with a desperate passion. Amis had done it often enough while angry, cursing up a storm and when he got truly livid, violence would occur. Jay slips off his chair, knowing that he needs to make himself scarce so that the other could calm down. Sometimes distance is the only cure for rage. The speaker’s crackle.

“Calm yourself 035.”

“Don’t tell me what to do f***ers!”

Jay finds his voice, pressing himself to keep it steady. He readies himself to cure himself of being in this room.

“LOOK PESTILENCE!”

And just like every time before, everyone turns to face the corner and he slips away. He can see Herr Mask starting to turn back earlier than normal and whispers an apology.

“Je suis vraiment désolé.”

“Wai-”

And Jay escapes, not looking back. He is sure he can patch things up later. He had always managed to do so with Amis. He rubs himself, trying to feel better. But it does not work. Jay travels down the grey halls, hoping to find some sort of calm. Maybe he could go out and find a field to lie in, or maybe he could go visit Doctor. He absently hopes that Herr Mask is not too mad at him and that he had someone like Edmund. Edmund had always been able to calm Amis down from even the greatest of rages. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOp. 035 has rage issues. I’m projecting a bit here onto 049-J, in that I hate when people angry yell around me, even when it’s not directed at me. It’s icky and scary sometimes if the person gets aggressive enough. Poor Jay


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> petit docteur-little doctor- french  
> Es tut mir leid- i am sorry- german  
> en colère-angry- french  
> ich habe die Fragen vergessen- i forgot the questions. -german

049 sits at his desk reading through a small historical novel that he had requested. While he did not request this specific book he finds it fascinating and it is sparking memories. The death described within this book is causing him to remember scenes he had come across in his own journeys, but no information about his own person. Journal of a Plague Year indeed. He closes the book to ponder and push at his aching mind to get more details. 049 sucks in a breath and shoves through the pain. He remembers…. He remembers… There is a voice and light laughter. Some sort of friend? He focuses on the voice trying to discern anything. A name would be nice. Any words at all would be a comfort. 

~“ _ Right. And I’m ugly. Come on Doc, you gotta work on better excuses. _ ”~

049 holds onto the words eyes darting open, and hands quickly pulling out his journal so he can jot them down. It's the most detail he has gotten so far. His pondering is interrupted by a sudden crash behind him. He rises and turns. The vent grate from the ceiling is on the floor with Jay sitting on it. The small bird looks distressed.

“Jay?”

There is a small sob from the small doctor. 049 moves forwards and bends to be at the level of the other, feeling an odd sort of rage take root in his gut. He rocks backward as Jay launches into his arms. He encircles the smaller after a half-second of hesitation, holding the little bird close. 

“Who did this to you?”

The doctor is ready to react in violence if needed. Jay just buries his beak into his shoulder, crying. The taller doctor sings softly, rocking back and forth, letting the other simply cry himself out. 049 moves to sit on his cot and continues comforting Jay. A doctor should bring comfort to their patient. He recalls that from… somewhere. 

After a while, a voice crackles over the speaker. It sounds like Dr. Baker’s.

“049, is that 049-J.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, thank goodness he didn’t breach the building. Does he seem capable of verbal response? Does he have any injuries you can see?”

Alarmed that he might have missed something, the tall doctor glances down. His companion seems fine. No obvious signs of physical injuries. 

“There are no physical injuries. But Jay is distressed. I do not think he can talk.”

The small doctor trills mournfully while he curls a little tighter. The sobs have slowed, and he is breathing deeply.

“I’m not surprised,” there is a sigh over the intercom “Dr. Delanley mishandled the situation. I'm glad that he didn’t get hurt.”

049 gently readjusts the small doctor, while looking at the window.

“Why? I did not think you liked the petit docteur much.”

There is a pause before Dr. Baker responds. 

“I might get frustrated with him, with his constant escapes and indirect method of speech, and I really don’t think he should be allowed near patients, but that doesn’t mean I want him injured, especially during cross-testing. It’s not his fault that Dr. Delaney reacted poorly and caused 035 to go off.”

049 bends his head slightly, processing this information. Silence reigns for a while as Jay calms down. The small bird begins talking after he has caught his breath.

“Es tut mir leid.”

“It is alright. What happened to you?”

“I am a doctor. I am a bad doctor. I made Herr Mask en colère.”

“I am sure it is through no fault of yours that 035 got mad. He is a rather moody individual from what I remember of my meetings with him during breaches.”

Jay twists his hands together growing distressed again. 

“But… But… Ich habe die Fragen vergessen. They will not let me see you or Herr Mask after this. I cured myself of being stuck. They do not like that!!”

The small doctor reburies his face into his shoulder. 049 puffs out a breath not sure exactly how to calm the other down. He cannot promise anything, he has no power here. Dr. Baker speaks up. 

“We won’t stop cross-testing with 049. We probably will halt cross tests with 035 until it is determined that you can handle it and that the higher-ups think that it is safe. There will likely be some changes to the tests if higher-ups want to continue with 035.”

Jay relaxes at this but stays clinging to 049. The tall doctor shifts to lean back against the wall.

“See. All is not lost, petit docteur.”

He pats the other gently on the beak, and gets a very soft and tired trill in response. It is not too long later that Jay starts sleeping. 

  
  


\--------------------

Jay yawns tiredly as he slowly wakes up. He feels warm and hums contently. Jay presses his beak against the soft surface. He gets a soft and tired croon in response. He blinks up and sees Doctor resting, eyes closed. Jay trills gently, closing his eyes and nuzzling up against the sleeping doctor, slipping into the sweet spot of warm, safe, and comfortable, slightly asleep but still somewhat awake. He simply enjoys peacefully existing. The world is not as bad as he had felt it was earlier.

When Doctor wakes up, Jay is roused fully, rolling off of the other. He stretches and glances back at his friend. Doctor rises, letting loose a rough yawn. 

“Feeling better?”

He asks Jay. The small doctor nods his head. And it is true. He felt much happier than he had before he had fallen asleep. Now he did not feel like such a massive failure and has some hope for the future. They spend a little time together before the researchers insist that needs to come out and get psychologically evaluated.

\----------

035 sits at the table, tapping his wooden fingers against the table. Someone he has never seen before is sitting across from him, holding onto a clipboard.

“You do realize we cant grant that request because of your actions during the last cross test.”

035 forces down a growl, feeling rage bubble within, both at the Foundation and at himself.

“I didn’t mean to scare the little doctor. I want to have a chance to apologize.”

“And the Foundation wishes to limit breaches conducted by 049-J. Given his aversion to stressful situations and your penchant for stressing those around you, it is unlikely that cross-testing will occur again.”

035 lets the growl come out, causing the researcher to lean back. He feels guilt nipping at his gut, recalling the fearful and mournful look that the small bird had shot him before slipping away. He had really ruined things. He would likely not see his favorite audience for a long time. 

“This is such BS.”

He grumbles, rubbing his fingers across the smooth pebble in his hand. 

“Tell him I’m sorry.”

035 looks straight at the researcher to make his request, pooling a little of his influence to make the other desire to comply.

“Sure. He’ll be out of testing soon. I’ll pass along the message to Dr. Baker.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO some comforting for Jay with 049. Also Dr. Baker. Not a bad dude, just a bit frustrated by a crazy little doctors antics; which Im sure we all have had that one person that presses all the wrong buttons. 035 had regrets™ which sucks. Also! I think im gonna do an over arching plot with 049’s memories and see what happens with that. ^-^ Thanks for reading every body!  
> P.s. Journal of a Plague year is a really really good book that gives insite to the plague of 1600s in london. I found the stuff about peoples reactions fascinating. And some of the smart and not so smart things were cool to read about. I also think that this plague influenced the change of city design that london went through after the great fire. I wrote a whole essay for this book, so i can answer most any question about it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bricon-scoundrel-old french   
> mon petit docteur- my little doctor-french  
> Danke-thank you-german  
> Nous sommes amis-we are friends

049 taps his desk, mind unable to focus on his task of looking through his earlier journal entries. Jay had not come at their normal cross-testing time. Normally it was once a week but it had been around ten days. And that was counting Jay sneaking into his room after his break down as a cross test. He rises and paces the room. He turns to the window, thinking that perhaps the doctors would tell him what has happened to his assistant.

“May I inquire why Jay has not come to visit?”

The speaker crackles with an unfamiliar voice.

“He is currently recovering from a bad reaction to a new food. He will come to visit when he is deemed well.”

049 stiffens at this news.

“Let me go to him. I can help.”

“We would need permission from higherups to do that. Plus transporting you to him is too high of a security risk.” 

049 rubs his beak and paces the room. 

“Could you tell me his symptoms? Perhaps I could advise about how to aid him.”

“The specifics were not in the report we were given.”

049 snarls irritably and goes back to pacing. He tries to sit but gets back up soon after, returning to circling the room. He attempts to read his book but puts it down as his mind can not focus. His nerves are completely shot and all he can think about is Jay. 

About three hours later alarms begin to blare. 049 glances up at the red flashing lights and hears the yelling beyond his cell. He hesitates for a second and then decides to go find his brother. He picks up his notebook and pebble slipping both into his bag and then uses some tools to force open the door. He exits, paying no mind to the pestilence ridden doctors. He strides down the halls, looking at the numbers carefully, ignoring everything else. There is a yell behind him that is distinct from the other screams. 

“YO! Doc hold up!!”

He keeps striding forwards and is brought to a halt by someone latching on to his arm. Ah, the mask once more. How irritating.

“Hey, where are you off to in such a hurry?”

He narrows his eyes at the mask, feeling anger at the breakdown that he had caused Jay to have. 

“I’m going to find Jay. He is unwell.”

“What! They didn’t say I caused him any physical harm!”

The regretfulness that tinges the other’s voice makes the doctor feel less peeved at the goopy mask. But it’s not enough to remove the anger from his own voice as he turns to jab at the other’s chest, accusation thick in his motions.

“You caused quite a bit of emotional damage you bricon. I do not know exactly what you did but mon petit docteur was unable to control his hysteria.”

The mask flinches back.

“I didnt mean to! I was just reacting like I normally do and I scared him. I want to apologize. I feel really bad for upsetting him after he was so nice to me.”

At this moment he spots the small pebble in the other’s hand. 

“He gave you a warding pebble. He must like you on some level. His current illness is not from you if the doctors are to be believed. Join me if you so wish.”

He turns and starts searching again, footsteps echoed by the mask’s. He finds the door labeled 049-J and forces it open. He glances over and sees someone sitting at a desk frantically messing with buttons. The doctor turns and his eyes widen in surprise. 049 takes a step forward. 

“Wait. Hold up. You're here for 049-J?”

049 recognizes Dr. Baker’s voice.

“Yes.”

He answers.

“Okay. Right. He had a negative reaction to pineapple. Apparently, everything is too bright and too loud. We were keeping his room dim and limiting any interaction. He was getting better but these alarms are not helping. I'm trying to figure out how to shut them down within his room. I can open the door, but be careful about touching him, we don’t know if touch is also too much.” 

“I would appreciate that.”

The doctor says. The mask pipes up. 

“I can knock out the lights.” 

Dr. Baker tenses at the sight of the mask and 049 assumes that he had not seen him before. 

“Right. Okay. This is fine. I'll just figure out the alarms. Open the door and get rid of the alarm.”

The other mutters while rising to open the door. 049 enters the room. Jay is curled up in the corner on his cot. He has a blanket over his head. The mask puts his hands against the wall and a black substance moves up and knocks out the flashing lights. The alarm is still echoing in the room. 049 gently sits down on the cot and gently taps the other. Jay lifts the blanket from his eyes and then moves to slump against 049, burying his face against his shoulder. 049 shifts so he can more easily hold him. The alarms shut off and Jay sighs in relief. The mask sits down beside him, blessedly silent for once. Through the open door, 049 can hear Dr. Baker fiddling around in the observation room. A little while later Dr. Baker enters holding onto a lidded cup with a straw. He seems to be stealing his nerves and then whispers.

“049-J needs to drink water to maintain function.”

The small doctor shifts, looking at Dr. Baker. He then rises and walks to the researcher, takes the cup, and then returns to 049, sucking up the liquid.

“Danke.”

The small bird whispers.

“Sure thing.”

The researcher retreats leaving the three alone again. Jay drinks the water, seeming to become more aware, looking about himself. He flinches away from the mask and 049 adjusts that he is a little further away from the dripping individual.

“Herr Mask?”

There is worry there in Jay’s whisper. The mask gives a small wave.

“Hey. I came to apologize. I didn’t mean to freak you out.”

Jay leans into 049’s chest. 049 slips his arms around the smaller’s waist. 

“Do you have the cure?”

The mask opens his hand to show off the pebble. 

Jay relaxes and smiles. 

“It is all safe then. All forgiven. Nous sommes amis.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pineapples, have the word apple in them. I dont make the rules. But yeah. I kinda like this whole interaction not going to lie. Dumb smile on my face the whoole time writing and editing this. (also anyone else catch the brother drop? i really didn't mean to write it but I left it in while editing cause I think it represents where the characters are at currently.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Est virtutem in nomine- there is power in a name-latin  
> Wasser-water-german  
>  Corbiau-old french for raven but also used for crow in some cases?

Jay begins chatting as soon as sound no longer felt like it was clawing at his brain. Doctor seems content to remain silent as Herr Mask speaks back. It is kinda nice to have a calm moment with people in his own room. He did not normally have visitors in his residence. He tilts his head to look at Doctor who looks like he is deep in thought. He pokes one of the arms looped about his stomach. 

“Hmm?”

The mask falls silent at Doctor's quiet noise.

“What is on…,” He struggles for a second, “mind?”

“I am trying to recall...,” the taller glances at the mask and directs his question to him, “You have said before that you knew me. From before.”

The mask leans forward. 

“I did. Are you interested in talking about it now? Why? You’ve always brushed me away before, looking to get rid of the “pestilence”.”

The mask says, a mocking tone coloring his last words. Jay wraps an arm around Doctor’s to offer support. 

“I have recently become jarringly aware of my own loss of knowledge. I get an inkling of memory every now and then. But I have lost so much. I am unsure of who I am, by name. I know my goals, but not what see me upon my past.”

The taller winces and begins rubbing at his temples with one of his hands. Jay lets out a soft trill.

“You hurt Doctor?”

“Just a small headache. It comes whenever I try to remember things that are too far back.”

Herr Mask hums and moves forward to tap the doctor’s white beak. 

“I can spin a story if you're willing to be an audience member.”

Doctor moves the hand from his temple to brush aside the intruding dripping limb.

“A name would suffice, if you indeed have it.”

“Mine or yours?”

A lilting purr accompanies those words, lightly joking. The taller doctor sighs slightly irritated. Jay leans forward, poking the Herr Mask in the chest. 

“Be kind. Est virtutem in nomine. Without it, you fade. Edmund says so.”

Herr Mask rocks back, hands up in surrender.

“You’re right Jay. You’re right. Sorry for teasing you Corbiau.

Jay feels the doctor tense up and looks up at him. His eyes are scrunched up in pain. The doctor then whispers in a suffering voice.

“Jay, could you grab my journal from my bag?”

the smaller nods slipping off of his lap and reaching into the doctor’s bag. He pulls out a notebook and a quill with ink. Doctor quickly opens the book to a blank page and scratches down the name. The mask frowns.

“Did that hurt you more than normal remembering?”

“Yes. I think it would be best if I did not try to recall anything else.”

Doctor winces again. Jay gently takes the book back and slips it into the other doctor’s back. He thinks of a possible cure.

“Doctor! Let me cure your feathers while Herr Mask tells us a play. It should cure pain.”

Doctor glances at him and then the mask who bobs his head.

“I’d be happy to put on a show!”

“I suppose that it would move my mind away from attempting to recall things.”

The taller doctor lowers his hood and Jay looks at the feathers. 

“I have Wasser. But no dry cloth.”

Jay states, meaning it as both a question and an apology. Doctor responds.

“Water to clean them would be nice.”

He turns as he hears movement and sees Dr. Baker in the doorway. He has a towel in his hands.

“049-J has a penchant for spilling water when we startle him.”

Jay runs over and takes the towel with a pleased chirp. He returns to the taller doctor, draping it over his shoulder before pulling out a jar of lavender water to start cleaning with. Herr Mask begins to tell a story of sorrowful love, with jokes and asides filling the story. Jay cackles and laughs and swears he hears his taller companion muffling a snicker at some points. He works his hands through the feathers carefully, working out the broken shafts and cleaning. 

——————-

After 035 wraps up the play and Jay finishes cleaning, they all huddle together against the wall together. 049 relaxes into soft chatter with 035, not talking about anything much. Occasionally, Jay will interject and chatter along. 049 feels oddly calm. Dr. Baker knocks on the door frame looking nervous. 

“I’m going to shut the door. The breach is being resolved and I don’t want guards storming in because they think you’re plotting something.”

Jay wiggles out from between the two and dashes over to the researcher. He quickly rifles through his bag and pulls out a pebble, a tan one. 049 watches as the small doctor hands it over to Dr. Baker.

“This will ward off pestilence.” 

“Thanks?”

The doctor accepts it and Jay returns to his place between 049 and 035. 049 blinks as the small doctor tugs on his arm and pulls is around the smaller’s shoulders. He relaxes back into gentle chatter and does not find it in himself to be annoyed when the mask drapes a dripping arm over his shoulder. Jay seems content and really, that is all 049 desires at this moment. The mask slowly disintegrates, losing his body into a black pool as time goes on. 049 watches the disintegration with half interest.  The speaker crackles with Dr. Bakers voice a while later.

“035 and 049, it’s time to return to your containment rooms.”

Jay trills sadly and 049 gently pats his beak. 

“We’ll see each other again. Do not fret.”

“I’d say the same, but the Foundation literally hates everything that I am.”

049 gives 035 a look when Jay makes a downtrodden face.

“Buuut, I’m sure they can be convinced to change their minds. I promise to tell you another story when I see you.”

Jay brightens and 049 gives an approving nod. 

“We are releasing lavender into the room now.”

Dr. Baker announces and thick scented air is released into the room. 049 soon begins yawing. Guards enter the room cuffing both 035 and 049 and collaring the tall doctor. Jay stays on his cot, waving and yawning as the taller SCPs exit. 049 manages a small wave back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah. memories, one might say that they are what make us who we are. What do you do when they are all gone? Suffer. Apparently in 049’s case. Also more feather cleaning! Lowkey love that.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klein-little-german  
> Je promets- i promise-french

Jay walks down the hall with two guards and Dr. Baker towards Doctor’s cell. He looks up at the man and asks a question.

“Do you have the cure?”

The researcher looks down at him with confusion.

“Do you mean the pebble?”

Jay nods his head. The doctor reaches into his pen-pocket and pulls out the stone. Jay beams at him as he slips it back into the pocket. 

“I knew you had it. I could not smell pestilence in you.”

“You cant? Did you before?”

“Klein.” 

The small doctor holds up his hand putting his thumb and pointer finger a small distance from each other to illustrate his point. Dr. Baker nods, eyes crinkled in thought. Jay reaches out and grabs his hand, looking at the passing doors with interest, hoping his hand will not be tossed aside. Dr. Baker seems surprised but holds on loosely. They arrive at the small observing room outside of Doctor’s room, and Dr. Baker quietly talks to another researcher, probably making a request of sorts. The other researcher looks interested and slowly nods. Jay anxiously looks at the closed door. They open it and Dr. Baker leads him in. Doctor is standing with his collar, over a corpse of a strange animal. Jay releases Dr. Baker’s hand and scurries over to the other beaked doctor. Doctor leans down and lifts him to his normal spot on the table. Before they get started, Dr. Baker speaks up.

“049, I have one question before you begin.”

The white-beaked doctor inclines his head, showing that he is listening.

“049-J says that he cant smell pestilence on me. Can you sense any from me?”

Jay watches as the taller SCP tilts his head, looking thoughtful.

“That’s odd. I do not. Jay was correct in his assessment.”

“Thank you. You may begin.”

Dr. Baker exits the room and Jay eagerly looks up at the other doctor, ready to help and to learn. As they work Doctor asks him a question.

“Did you have something to do with his lack of pestilence?”

“I gave him a magic ward.”

Jay says, feeling like it should be obvious. The taller doctor had seen him do it after all.

“Right, of course.” 

Doctor then instructs him on how to properly hold a certain tool, adjusting Jay’s grip before guiding him through the motion of using it. Jay watches carefully, hoping to learn so that he can more efficiently help Doctor in the future. He gets excited when Doctor produces a needle and allows him to do the sutures. His insides start clicking when the taller praises his stitches. Doctor glances at him with a questioning look.

“How are you producing that sound?”

Jay swings his legs while he glances at the window.

“Wait till we remove the body and the guards exit the room.”

Jay nods.

“Miasma.”

He sats with a note of agreeance. The taller doctor tilts his head but takes a step back so that they can remove his experiment. After they are alone in the room, Doctor approaches him. Jay raises up his hood to show off the moss and beaks. Doctor makes a motion with his hand and Jay tenses and drops the fabric.

“No touch. Pain.”

“Alright. I am sorry.”

Jay shrugs. 

“It is okay.”

“May I see again? I will not touch. Je promets.”

Jay slowly lifts it again and Doctor looks without moving closer. 

“Hmm.Very interesting. Thank you.”

Jay chirps happily. He then pulls out a little bit of very dried moss and a cracked beak.

“This is old. I grow new.”

He hands it over and Doctor carefully stores it within a jar and then shifts it into his bag. Jay trusts him with it. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------

035 runs his fingers over the small pebble, sitting at the interviewing table. How odd this small little thing could stand against his corrosive drips when everything else wore down. He looks at the interviewer across from him and waits to see exactly what they want.

“We would like you to give your account of what happened last breach.”

“Oh? Mmm. Well, I was here in my cell minding my business, when the alarms went off. I decided this was a great chance to go and find Jay so that I could apologize.”

“And Jay is 049-J.”

035 feels annoyance but clamps down on it.

“Yep!” He pops the p, “Anyways, I was in the hall looking at the doors, since you all insist on having rooms ordered in the most nonsensical ways. I saw Doc striding a long, not acting normal at all. So I decided to go say hi to my old companion and see what was up. Turns out he was looking for Jay too! And he was rather peeved with me.”

“Why was that?”

“He has taken a shine to Jay and I made the kid cry,” he taps the table, “honestly, I’ve never seen anything like it. Doc’s such a loner, and obsessive over his whole pestilence thing. But yeah. He told me Jay was unwell and I informed him I didn’t mean what happened. He let me tag along. We found the kid and the doctor and then we hung out with Jay.”

“What did you and 049 discuss?”

“Ah, now we come to the true reason behind this meeting.”

035 leans back sighing, irritated that he is being asked to air his personal life out to the Foundation.

“Don’t you creeps have cameras and mics everywhere?”

“You knocked them out when knocking out the lights.”

The interviewer says with a raised eyebrow. 035 snorts to himself.

“I didn’t know. But we really didn’t talk about much. Jay couldn’t handle noise for a while.”

“So you were silent?”

Tangible disbelief.

“I can behave when I need to. Anyways, when Jay felt better, I apologized and put on a little play for the two, and then we talked about inane things like recent tests and experiments.”

“Why do you think 049 likes 049-J?”

035 mulls over this for a second, rolling the pebble under his fingertips.

“Probably the same reason I like the little guy. He’s a great audience that doesn’t really interrupt. He’s got charm too. Probability doesn’t hurt that he doesn’t die to Docs touch.”

the interviewer nods and then rises.

“Thank you. Your compliance will be noted.”

“Hey wait. How’s the little bird doing?”

the interviewer looks to the window. The speaker crackles.

“049-J is healthy. He has been asking to meet with you.”

“Well, I certainly wouldn’t mind a visit.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Magic pebbles are actually magic? Mmmmmmmm???? Lol. But yeah, some honest opinions fro 035 on the little doctor  
> I’m planning to make ask blog that is an au of this story, diverging after this chapter. I feel like this could be a lotta fun?   
> pigeon-and-crow is what I’m going to call it on tumblr and anonymous asks will be open. Itll be my first go at that kinda thing...  
> ALSO! Thanks to everyone who has commented! I try to respond quickly, cause I really appreciate you taking the time to say something! Also thank you for all the kudos, I do really appreciate it. I hope this story has made people smile, cause it’s given me a lot of joy so far!


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hallo-hello-german  
> Fragen-Questions-german  
> mon petit docteur- my little doctor

Jay grins at Herr Mask, waving at the dripping being. He is slightly taller than he had been in the past.

“Hallo!”

“Hello, little doctor. So they let you return?”

“Yep! But with…,” Jay clicks, trying to remember the word, flailing his hand about, “uh.”

He turns to the window, hoping for help. Dr. Baker responds through the speaker.

“There are conditions. 049-J will no longer be asking all of the questions. Instead, we will propose a question for both or one of you to answer, allowing conversation to flow naturally out of the question until it has strayed too far from the original intent.”

Jay nods.

“I do not have to remember Fragen now!”

He says cheerily. The mask tilts his head.

“Not that I’m against it, but why don’t you just write down the questions, like you do for the others who have come into my abode?”

Jay ducks his head in embarrassment, rubbing his hand against the table. He hates for his weaknesses to be exposed. There is a slight pause before Dr. Baker speaks up. 

“049-J can't read.”

Jay rubs at his beak as Herr Mask leans back.

“Ah. Have you tried asking Doc to help you?”

“He does not know…”

“Well he likes you well enough, I’m sure he’d be willing to take on the challenge. He always did like having to figure out solutions.”

Jay perks up at the chance to learn more about Doctor.

“Tell me a story about Doctor! Please.”

“Hmmm, let’s see what I can remember.”

The mask leans forward again and snaps his fingers.

“I do remember this one incident! There was a town that wouldn’t let us leave. Some weird rule made by their leader that healers were not allowed to exit the city walls.”

Jay listens intently as Herr Mask spins the story of sneaking through the town in the dead of night, several near misses, and a fantastical confrontation right before they had dragged themselves over the city wall. Herr Mask waves his hands about to emphasize the action, changing his voice to adapt to different people within the story. Jay claps as it comes to an end. 

“That was a good story.”

“Thank you, thank you! You were an excellent audience.”

Jay beams up at the mask. Dr. Baker’s voice crackles over the speaker. 

“It’s time for 049-J to leave.”

Jay gives a little wave as he rises to exit. Dr. Baker stays behind as Jay exits into the hall with two guards. Jay stays silent as they walk down the, distracted by his own thoughts. He can hear the guards muttering to each other and tunes back in when he hears something of note.

“So you got the cards?”

“Yeah, highest level security. Got’em last breach. We’ll be able to get into anywhere we want. Including the areas were they keep the big guns. Should be enough to wipe out some of these things. Honestly, I don’t know why the Foundation bothers keeping them alive. They’re so freaking dangerous.”

“I can’t wait till we get our hands on the grenades and I can just toss 20 in a room with 049. Boom. Gone.”

Jay silently tenses. He senses the implication of violence, despite not being sure of what a “grenade” was. He knew what cards were. They were like keys. These two did not deserve the keys. They had the pestilence, he decides, quietly reaching into his bag. He was the cure. It is his job to remove the disease from them and to make sure that they can not bring pain to Doctor. He had done this before, when there had been threats to the Dracones Curanes. He finds his shoe and a doctor’s stick. He turns on the guards and proceeds to cure them. He works quickly and also cures them of the keys that are cards. He knows that the Foundation will be angry. They hated him curing people not denoted as patients. He has to cure himself of being in the building. Jay bolts.

\---------

049 narrows his eyes, pushing through the pain to try and remember. He focuses on the name given to him by the strange mask that claimed to know him. Corbiau. He rolls the name over in his mind, ignoring the spiking aches. He can feel memory on the edges of his thought and reaches for it as he sits with his notebook open to a blank page. There! His eyes slip closed and he remembers a scene. He remembers a small house with too many children. His… mother? Yes. He remembers her sending him off to work at the local lord’s home. Ah, yes. That was where he had learned to read and write from snooping on the lord’s son’s lessons. He scratches down the details. He remembers being close with the… stable master... Yes, the stable master! That was where he got his interest in learning medicine! From learning to help horses he had grown to want to help humans. 049 sighs after scratching it down and stops pushing at his mind, rubbing at his temples. A dull ache exists behind his eyes. He pulls out the jar with the moss and small broken beak, hoping a shift in thought will remove the pain. 049 begins to examine the substance, but pauses as the speaker crackles.

“049, is 049-J in there with you?”

The voice of Dr. Baker comes over the speaker, concern leaking at the edges of it.

“No? Did something happen to mon petit docteur?”

“Let us know if he enters.”

049 rises to his feet.

“I will repeat myself once more, has something happened to Jay?”

There is a pause and Dr. Baker speaks again. 

“He breached containment again. This is fairly common for him. We had hoped he retreated here like last time. We do not believe he has been injured in any way.”

049 nods in understanding and sits back down at the desk, knowing there is nothing that he can do in this situation. This irks him somewhat. To be so powerless in the face of the whims of this Foundation. He rubs his beak dispersing his thoughts. For now, he will focus on his work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHoo BOI! We get some backstory for 049!! I actually have my own backstory for just about everyone besides 035, for who I have vague ideas. Also oop, Jay is out of containment. Just more stress for poor Dr. Baker. Also, pointing this out, 049 has started saying mon, with petit docteur, indicating a bit of possession. Mmmhhh growth of character. I got this.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No translations!

Jay runs, sprinting into the first forest that he sees. He feels the trees calling. The language is very different than that of home across the ocean, but the presence is familiar enough to soothe his nerves. He listens to the rustling of the leaves and lets himself be herded deeper into the wood. He knows the Foundation will come for him and knows they would drag him back willing or not. Jay hopes to have his explanation fully prepared by then. Grenade, pestilence, threat. Those were the key elements of the situation. He keeps walking, leaves crunching beneath his boots. Rain is in the air, soon to come. It had been far too long since he had been in a forest. A moon cycle? Perhaps two? The trees rustle bemused at his loss of time. Jay asks to be led to a stream or creek, hoping to find more magical stones. He walks forward, thinking back on memories as he walks along. Enderlyn had found him in a wood far denser than this. Edmund had been wary at first, not trusting Jay’s odd ability to traverse the forest without being lost even lacking a path. Edmund had been wary for more than that if Jay is to be honest with himself. He glances around chirping at some birds as he passes. 

He reaches the stream and begins hunting for stones, dragging his fingers across the stream bed. Rain begins to fall as he finds three that call to him. He slips them into his bag and tilts his head upward to the crying sky. The trees shudder in the wind that is beginning to pick up. He makes his way out of the stream bed towards where there are whispers of rocky shelter. The sky crackles and booms and he trills loudly in response. Lightning lights his way as he walks and he revels in the electricity that fills the air as thunder booms. He finds a stone outcropping, but stands in the rain, buffeted by the wind for a little longer. The world is singing, so alive. So different from the cells and halls. He had almost forgotten. Almost. Memory is precious. Jay feels sorrow, remembering his friend, Doctor, who lacked himself. If he was to see him again, Jay would need to be clear in his explanation. 

He sits under the rock, out of the wind and rain, planning his words carefully. He pushes himself to remember words, stringing together a sentence, and then whispering it over and over to himself. He can hear the forest murmuring along, causing him to smile a little. There is something inherently silly about a forest trying to speak the words of man. When he feels that he has the words memorized sufficiently, Jay begins to whistle and trill his story to the forest that shakes and creaks with the power of the ongoing storm. It listens as he talks of the Foundation, of his friends, and of his own past. It was nice to be understood fully for once. 

\--------

Jay stands in the stream, having returned after the night of thunderous storms. His robes are soiled with mud. He sits in the stream and begins to work the dirt out. A couple of animals come to hang out and he waves to them. He works the grey fabric through the water. The trees creak with wind and whispers, causing Jay to merrily chitter back as he does his best to clean his robes without removing them. His hat is stolen away by a curious deer and he is forced to chase it down to get it back, much to the amusement of the surrounding woodland. He returns to the stream, tapping the deer on the muzzle in reprimand. Jay stays there in the peaceful woodland stream for hours before there are whispers of several someones entering the forest. The animals scatter away as Jay remains sitting, waiting for the inevitable. He repeats the words from the day prior to himself once more as the group grows closer. 

“049-J. How could you attack those guards? You know you’re not supposed to do that!”

Dr. Baker is standing at the edge of the stream looking bitterly disappointed, weary and stressed. Soldiers stand around him pointing weapons at Jay. The small doctor begins to speak, to explain himself.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses. We’re going to have to reconsider your containment again. Probably will have to move facilities.”

That meant not seeing Doctor or Herr Mask again. Jay goes to speak but is interrupted again.

“Just come with us peacefully. Do not struggle 049-J.”

The small doctor becomes irate and rises to his feet, trying to speak. When it seems that Dr. Baker is going to interrupt him again, he lets out a shriek, going as high as he can. The trees shake in agreement with his desire to be heard. The guards and Dr. Baker take a step back.

“They were going to make Doctor gone with “grenade”! They had keys! They had mal… mal… Malicious intent!”

He yells and then tosses the key cards over to Dr. Baker’s feet. Dr. Baker attempts to respond, but Jay continues as the wind begins to whistle through the creaking trees.

“They were diseased with evil. I cured them. I accept no punishment. I did good.”

Jay announces as his wet robes swish in the stirring air. He stands straight back daring Dr. Baker to reproach him. The doctor looks at the surrounding forest with concern before leaning down to lift up the cards.

“They were…. Not good.” 

Jay says fists clenched. Dr. Baker slowly nods his head. 

“You’re right. These are cards normal guards should not have. There does seem to be some sort of plotting. If you explain things clearly I’m sure the Foundation will see your actions more favorably.”

Jay relaxes slightly and the wind slows. The trees shake a little less. 

“Is Doctor well?”

“Yes. 049 is still okay.”

Jay sighs a breath of relief before moving forward with his arms held out. Dr. Baker cuffs him and he grabs the doctor’s hand. The forest whines, wanting him to stay. Jay just waves a little as he is led away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehehhah! Some of Jay’s backstory coming to play. (if you wanna ask about these backstory plots I have, you can do it here or over on the ask blog! I’ll link it here so you can ask the characters yourself lol. https://pigeon-and-crow.tumblr.com/ I can’t promise to tell yall everything thoooooo! ;) Also plug for my normal Tumblr if you’re interested: https://hermesserpent-stuff.tumblr.com/ )
> 
> I wanted to give him a bit of space to think. Might do something more with is forest! Thank you everyone so much for reading! The comments and kudos are very nice and I appreciate all of you!!


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mon petit doctuer-my little doctor  
> Entschuldigung-sorry-german  
> Klein-small-german

049 blinks tiredly as the Foundation releases lavender into his room. Apparently, they wanted to clean his rooms and have him visit the small doctor for a change. He yawns quietly to himself as he is led down the hall. The collar is heavy against his weary shoulders. He vaguely recognizes the halls and hums tiredly to himself as he enters through the doors. He is unbound at the presence of the small doctor’s room, entering as the door opens. 049 blinks in tired surprise at Jay who has a chain around his foot attaching him to the wall.

“What happened?”

The taller doctor hisses, shakily making his way over to Jay. The little doctor pats the cot beside himself. 

“I cured two guards. And cured myself of being here.”

“Ah. Mmm. I bet that they did not like that.”

The doctor finds his words slurring a little. Jay grabs his hand with a concerned trill. 049 pats the other’s beak a little lethargically. 

“Lavender.”

He mumbles getting a soft trill in response. Jay gently tugs him till he is laying down on the cot. The taller doctor lets out a pleased hum as his companion curls up on his chest.

“Sleep. I explain later.”

Jay whispers.

“Mmmkay.” 

He slurs back, encircling his arms around his small companion. He then lets himself drift off to sleep. 

\-------

049 awakens to the soft jangle of chains. He blinks slowly, stretching his arms a little to bring wakefulness back to himself. Jay is sitting against the small bookshelf, staring at a brightly colored page, murmuring quietly to himself. Occasionally the smaller being would bounce his leg to produce the jangling noise or would flip the page.

“Is it a good story?”

He asks the small doctor, who startles with a chirp and then ducks his head.

“I think… All people look happy.”

Jay shrugs as he taps the page he had been staring at. He then closes the book and rises, the chain clinking as he returns to the taller doctor’s side. 

“You said you would explain?”

049 lifts up some of the loose chain, questioning the small bird.

“Yes! I cured myself after curing two mal-mal- malicious guards. Went to the forest. This is two weeks,” Jay points to the chain attached to his ankle, “It will keep me here more.”

“Oh?”

Jay flops backwards onto the cot at 049’s questioning tone, kicking the leg up.

“Yes.”

049 can now see the complex series of locks and multiple levels of binding that for the cuff around his friend's ankle. 

“Two weeks.”

The other says with a sigh kicking the leg out and letting the chain jangle. 

“Can see how that would be a deterrent to you escaping.”

He gets a noise of agreement as the small bird drops his leg back down. 049 pats the smaller’s beak, hoping to communicate his sympathy. Jay wiggles till his head bumbs against 049’s side. 

“How… Are you well?”

Jay asks. 049 glances down at his hands with a hum.

“Yes. The lavender seems to have worn off. Are you well mon petit doctuer?”

“Yes! You are here.”

049 looks away, with a strange warmth in his stomach. He clears his throat and pats the other once more. Jay trills happily and then sits up. 

“Plans?”

The small bird asks causing 049 to pause and think. What should he do? He would like to continue his work, but he is unsure how to best do so while staying within Jay’s room. Normally he would just work through his journal while hanging out with Jay, but if he stayed here for a long period, he could not do this the whole time.

“Not exactly. What do you normally do in your room?”

Jay sways back and forth making a considering noise.

“Color. Dance? Uhhhhh. Look at stories? Entschuldigung. Not much to share…”

“That is fine Jay. I do not expect you to provide entertainment for me.”

049 says with a small sigh to himself. Jay leans against him with a hum, tucking himself into his side. 049 raises his arm and gently settles it over Jay’s shoulder, taking comfort in the presence at his hip. Jay pulls a coloring book from the side of the cot and 049 pulls out his journal to read through some more of his past entries, hoping to maybe figure out when exactly he got feathers. They silently pass the time leaning into each other’s company, calmly doing their individual self-assigned tasks. 

\----------

Jay startles when a chime goes off, banging his elbow against the taller doctor’s chest. The other lets out a small noise of pain, causing Jay to make an apologetic noise. He then looks over to the small cache in the wall on the opposite side of the room. He knows there is something there. The chime always meant something new was there, whether that was water or a new coloring book. They always did this when they did not want to enter his room. But, as he glances down at his new piece of apparel, he knows that he will not be able to reach it. He nervously twitches and fiddles with his gloves, building up the courage to make a request.

“Doctor?”

“Hmm?”

He sucks in a breath as Doctor glances down at him.

“Can? Uh… Klein door over there. Can you go?”

Doctor blinks at him and then rises. He walks over to it and presses his hands around until it opens. Jay has risen and moved as far as he can, trying to catch a glimpse of it. Doctor walks back to him holding onto a small bag and a capped cup of water. Jay bounces as Doctor hands him both and he immediately opens the bag up. He pulls out the supplies for some sort of experiment. There is a page of instruction and Jay hopelessly looks at it. 

“What is all of this for?”

Doctor asks with interest, lifting up a bottle filled with a white liquid. The speaker crackles and Dr. Baker speaks.

“Those are the supplies for creating slime. We provided written instruction.”

Doctor glances at Jay. He feels excitement at the idea of creating something new.

“Do you mind reading out the instructions?”

Jay makes a noise of confirmation and stares at the vague squiggles. He does not want to display incompetence to Doctor. He knows he can figure it out. He is sure of it. His old friends had tried to teach him so many times. Surely some of it had stuck! He blinks at the page, staring intensely, tears of frustration beginning to smudge his vision. He tosses aside the paper.

“I do not want to make this.” 

He bites out and then stomps away to plop down on his cot and stare at the wall, fighting down bitter tears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! They have settled on a greater cross test! Super fun for both birds. Also struggling to read. I can relate.Took me a lot longer than my peers to start reading well. Not a lot of pleasantness in the frustration of feeling stupid. Sometimes I still feel this when trying to read things from science journals. oof.


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mon petit docteur- my small doctor-french  
> Promittere. Promittere mihi.- you promise. You promise me. latin
> 
> Ich will- I want german

049 pauses at the outburst of his companion. Jay had seemed so eager. What had caused this abrupt shift? He walks over to him pausing with a hand outstretched when he hears a soft sob. 

“Jay?”

He whispers, not really sure how to handle the emotional distress of the smaller doctor. He gets no response and decides to settle down beside him. 

“Was it me asking you to read the instructions? Was that too much?”

049 wants to understand. He completes the motion of his hand and places it on Jay’s shoulder. Jay sniffles, covering his face. He does not turn, causing concern to grow in 049. 

“I am sorry to have upset you. If you truly do not wish to make this “slime”, then we do not need to.”

Jay mumbles lowly, too low for 049 to catch the words. He patiently waits for Jay to gather himself to attempt another response. Jay half turns, keeping 049’s hand still on his shoulder.

“I do want. I…”

Jay cringes back and curls into himself. 049 gently pats him, trying to communicate reassurance.

\---------------

Jay twists into himself, angry and frustrated and not really having the words to describe his irritation to Doctor. He does not want to show his lack of skill but he has already made a right fool of himself by having a breakdown over a piece of paper. He buries his face into his knees. The other keeps patting his back. Jay trembles sucking in air, trying desperately to calm down. 

“You said that you do want to do this?”

Jay makes a noise of agreement but does not look up still feeling rather miserable. The hand leaves back and he hears movement. He peaks ot when the other comes close again and sees Doctor setting things up in front of him on the floor. The taller doctor is looking over the instructions and then hums. 

“This can be like my experiments. Would you please be my assistant?”

Jay hesitates for a second shrugging. Doctor leans forward speaking up again.

“You make a great assistant. You follow instructions really well.”

The smaller doctor brightens at the praise, slowly coming out of his ball. 

“I do?”

“Yes. You do. I have to say you are the best assistant I have ever had mon petit docteur.”

Jay sits up fully glowing a little at the praise. Doctor hands him the bottle of white liquid with an encouraging noise. The other begins telling him the instructions and Jay closely follows what Doctor says. He mixes the material and giggles at the odd substance that it creates. He pokes the jiggling material and pulls his hand back from the coldness. 

“Haec prodigiosus!”

He exclaims enraptured by the way the substance stretched and wiggled. He holds out some to Doctor who takes it and begins messing with it. They begin to chatter about the oddness of the substance and its movements. After some time had passed Doctor changes the topic from being about slime.

“Will you tell me what upset you so, mon petit docteur?”

Jay frowns, twisting the slime around his fingers. Ah. he probably could not hold off on telling Doctor about his deficiency. He pulls on the slime.

“I… I not read. I am a blennus.”

Doctor blinks and then reaches out to place a hand on his shoulder. 

“You are not. Did your doctors try to teach you?”

“Yes. All. They tried. A lot. Ich könnte nicht.”

Jay clenches his hands, feeling frustration bubble up. Doctor makes a soft noise of concern and pulls him into a side hug. 

“Being illiterate does not make you less valubleJay. You know this right?”

Jay wraps his arms around his torso and looks up at Doctor.

“I am val-valuble?” 

He trips over the word as he looks to Doctor. The taller blinks at him with incredulity in his eyes.

“Yes. You are. Especially to me, mon petit docteur.”

“Oh.”

Jay says quietly before moving forwards and wrapping the Doctor in a tight hug. It takes a second but Doctor squeezes him back. He feels a hand gently rubbing his back as he curls into the comfortable embrace. Doctor then speaks again.

“If you would like, I could attempt to train you in reading, similar to your training with tools that we have been doing.”

Jay holds a little tighter, feeling a bout of nervousness.

“Promittere. Promittere mihi. Say no get angry when fail.”

He says refusing to look up or let go. Doctor gently pushes him away, tilting his beak up and looking into the smaller’s eyes. 

“Jay. I swear to you I will not become angry with you,  _ if  _ you fail. I may become frustrated, but that would be aimed at myself, for being a bad teacher. I have never taken on an apprentice, so forgive me for my mistakes that will surely abound.”

Jay’s eyes widen at this. He had not been anyone’s apprentice in a very very long time.

“Apprentice? Me?”

“Yes,” Doctor suddenly seems nervous, “if you wish. It would honor me if you became mon apprenti.”

The small doctor grins broadly and launches forwards again to hug. 

“YES! Ich will! Master… Doctor?” he tests out. He then tries to recall the name that Herr Mask had used, “Master Corbiau?”

Doctor winces but still lets out a low and soft chuckle. 

“You may still refer to me simply as Doctor. I have become rather attached to the name.”

Jay grins trilling happily. He was an apprentice!! Doctor would teach him more skills so that he could be an even better doctor. This is better than anything he could have dreamed up. He jumps to his feet and begins to bounce about, forgetting the chain attached to his ankle. He trips, letting out a sharp chirp of fear. Doctor easily catches him, making soft soothing noises.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apprenticeship! Whoot!


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meine Augen-my eyes- germann  
>  Frère. Mon petit frère- brother my little brother-french  
> Danke schön.-thank you very much-german  
> “Je vous en prie, mon petit apprenti- you are welcome my apprentice-french

Dr. Baker absently stares at his coffee mug thinking through the interaction they had observed yesterday. 049 genuinely seemed interested in teaching 049-j to read, going as far as to start instruction immediately with teaching the English alphabet. He blinks as Dr. Kates sits down beside him with two sandwiches. The smaller researcher passes him the turkey sandwich keeping the ham to himself.

"So. Are we going to provide what 049 has requested?"

Dr. Baker asks the other. Dr. Kates had been in charge of observing and providing for 049 for about three years, a little longer than Dr. Baker had been assigned to be the head researcher of 049-J. Dr. Kates hums in consideration.

"I don't see the issue with providing loose-leaf paper and a whiteboard with markers. It would be interesting to observe the teaching methods displayed by 049, as well as his reactions to issues he may not be able to resolve. He seems to have a bit of hesitation when it comes to 049-J being emotional."

Dr. Baker tips his head.

"True. Though, I think they have a calming effect on each other. At least in my experience, 049-J is less antsy and has breached containment far fewer times since cross-testing began."

A woman drops down in front of the two with a grin, adjusting her glasses. She is unfamiliar to Dr. Baker who vaguely feels a headache coming on.

"We talking about cross-testing with the little bird boy?"

Dr. Kates raises an eyebrow but falls into an easy tone with her.

"Yes. 049-J and 049 specifically. I'm Dr. Kates, in charge of 049. This is Dr. Baker, he's in charge of 049-J."

"Awesome! I needed to talk to both of y'all! I'm Dr. Smith. I've been made head researcher for 035 for now. Started this position three days ago and the small bird is just about one of the only things he likes to talk about."

Dr. Baker blinks at her excited energy. Few people were happy to be put in charge of 035, given the mask’s tendency to manipulate minds. She must be a bit looney. Although, Dr. Baker sips his coffee, you have to be to work as a researcher here. Dr. Kates continues talking.

"Oh? 049 was somewhat similar after their initial meeting, always asking for an "audience" with 049-J."

"Well, 035 does say, "that bird is one heck of a charmer". Mind if I see him, Dr. Baker?"

Dr. Baker blinks at the direct question.

"If you have time for little ol’ me to take a peek of course!"

She says with a bright grin. He looks to Dr. Kates as this would need his agreement as well. Dr. Kates nods. Dr. Baker sighs and turns back to Dr. Smith.

"If you have a break right now, sure. 049 and 049-J are rooming currently, so you absolutely can not go in the cell. My break is ending now along with Dr. Kates if you wish to come."

Dr. Baker checks his watch to reaffirm this idea and then rises, taking his half-eaten sandwich and coffee with him. He hears to sets of footsteps behind and Dr. Smith begins chattering with Dr. Kates. Dr. Baker silently listens in, somewhat interested in the state of the mask since the last cross test.

\---------------------------------

049 writes out the alphabet on the provided whiteboard, announcing each letter and its English pronunciation as he goes. Jay stares intently, repeating the motions on a sheet of his own with a crayon. The small doctor makes a noise of frustration.

“They all!! Same!”

He hisses in frustration shoving away the paper that 049 can make out scribbles on. They vaguely have the shape of the right letters but they are not quite right. He narrows his eyes in thought as he places a gentle hand on the smaller’s shoulder. There is a crackling and a feminine voice comes over the speakers.

“049-J, would you say that the letter 049 is writing are blurring together? Making a blurry mush? Like, uh, like when you cry and the world seems to run together in your vision?”

049 looks at his companion who seems to be thinking.

“Yes. It does.”

The small doctor responds. The voice replies.

“Have you ever taken an eye exam?”

Jay shakes his head in the negative. The speaker catches another voice, Dr. Baker’s.

“How do we administer an optical exam to an illiterate individual?”

“Tumbling E chart. I can have one for you tomorrow. If 049-J can’t see, it’ll be awfully hard to attempt to teach reading.”

“You think he needs corrective eye-glass?”

049 asks, thinking it over. Solving that sort of issue is not really his realm of expertise. The small doctor looks more worried than frustrated now. 049 gets a response.

“Perhaps. It’s hard to tell without testing. It might explain his illiteracy if there have been previous attempts at learning. I also have some book recommendations I’ll give to Dr. Kates and Dr. Baker that are good for learning to read.”

049 shifts to be sitting beside Jay and offers a pat of support.

“That would be appreciated.”

He says and then focuses on reassuring the smaller doctor.

“Jay. Mon petit apprenti. It is going to be alright.”

“Meine Augen…”

“Are fine. They just need some assistance.”

“Which means they are bad.”

The small doctor says dejectedly leaning into 049’s side.

“I require your assistance to perform my experiments, are you saying I am bad?”

Jay jerks back looking concerned.

“NO! Doctor is a good doctor!”

049 lets out a soft chuckle at the forceful response. 

“Why do you not defend your eyes with the same passion?”

Jay freezes at this. 

“Ah…”

“Ahh, indeed Jay. Do you wish to hug?”

049 knows that the smaller normally would reach out first, but he wants to offer the physical comfort if the other is unsure. Jay nods and 049 lifts him to be snuggled into his arms. He hates to cause such frustration in his brother, but he wants him to be able to read, if Jay wants it. He pauses. Brother. This is the second time the word had bubbled up in his train of thought. Frère. Mon petit frère. He rolls his mind over the idea and the feeling it inspires, an odd sort of warmth. The warmth of family. He can remember it with his mother and his older brother. Huh, their memory does not hurt. He happily hums as Jay nuzzles into his shoulder.

“Danke schön.”

“Je vous en prie, mon petit apprenti.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meet the team of head researchers! Hope you dont mind them. Also tumbling E! They use that for the illiterate to check their eyes. Since you know, they don’t recognize letters. Cause their illiterate.


	19. Chapter 19

035 twirls the stone beneath his wooden fingers. A new researcher sits across from him with a bright smile. 

“Hello! I’m Dr. Smith, currently in charge of your case till the Foundation decides I need to be transferred. I would like to ask some general questions, if that’s alright?”

“How bout we do a trade? Answers for answers.”

He says leaning forward with a grin. He wants to know what is going on with the small doctor. Dr. Smith hums, and then bobs her head.

“Sure. I can’t promise to answer all questions though!”

“I can’t either.”

“Fair.”

He leans back in his chair making a motion for her to go ahead. She smiles and then glances at the clipboard. 

“Okay. So, we know that you like performing plays. Do you like to watch plays?”

035 thinks about it, humming.

“I prefer to be on the stage, but it is nice to learn new stories. How is the small doctor? I have not seen him in a while?”

“049-J is well. He is currently trying to learn to read. You can see while not having a possessed body, right?”

“Yes. He’s learning to read? Is Doc helping him?”

035 if genuinely curious, not really paying any mind to the questions about himself.

“Yep. He and 049 are currently rooming. Are you able to control the black corrosive sludge to the degree that it would not damage something installed in the room?”

035 rolls the pebble over tilting his head at the mixture of information.

“Rooming. How odd. Guess that’s why he hasn’t been around. And maybe. Depends on what you are putting in the room. I offer no promises.”

“Okay. Fair. What’s your question?”

He is a little surprised that she is not trying to take advantage, to get more information.

“Uhh, how’s that teaching going?”

“They’re issuing an eye exam this afternoon. Just to check that the lil’ guy can actually see the letters. If they can figure that out, his education should be pretty solid from there. 049 appeared to be excited, “ She says with a hum, tapping her chin with the pen, “Say we put a tv in here and we provide pre-recorded plays, like two a day, would you be opposed to it?”

035 frowns in consideration. He brushes against her mind to try and figure it out.

“What are you trying to do here lady?”

“Trying to provide enrichment. Not going to lie, kinda sucks that you get stuck in here with nothing else going on. Figured we could make it a bit less miserable for everyone.”

035 taps his fingers against the table. 

“Sure. Yeah. That’d be great.”

“Awesome. Do you have a final question before I go?”

“Hmmm. Do you think you could say hi to Doc and Jay for me?”

“Sure! I’ll pass along the message to Dr. Kates and Dr. Baker. Oh! I just remembered, do you want us to provide a place for the magic pebble, like a pillow or jar or would you prefer to keep it as you have.”

“It’s fine how I have it now. I don’t want you trying to take it.”

He clenches his hand around the stone. The researcher shakes her head. 

“I don’t want to take it. I’ll let you know if the Foundation starts getting other ideas though. Thanks for answering 035! See you later hun.”

\----------------------------------------------------------

Jay narrows his eyes at the odd chart that Doctor has set up on the far wall. He stands where he is instructed to, covering up his left eye. He then begins to rattle off the direction that the E’s lines are pointing, moving down to the next line and then the next. He starts to struggle with it, shifting side to side as the little E’s mush. Doctor pats his shoulder and Jay takes comfort from it. Dr. Baker requests that he cover his other eye and go back through the process. Jay does so, struggling back through the chart. Doctor makes a noise of concern as Jay fails to make a far as the previous time. Dr. Baker’s voice rings out.

“You appear to be nearsighted 049-J.”

Jay frowns, not understanding. He looks to Doctor who hums.

“It means things in the distance are hard to make out in detail.”

The smaller doctor nods in understanding. Doctor opens his bag and begins to search through it. Jay mulls over the diagnosis. Doctor pulls out a small item with glass encircled by metal wire.

“These may not fix everything but these should help enough that we can start working on reading again.”

Jay stills as Doctor crouches before him and very carefully positions the eyewear on Jay’s beak. He blinks at the sharpening of the world.

“Crisp.”

It is the only thing he can think to say. He looks around the room, eyes settling on the chart. Some of the lines are still blurry but it is clearer. He feels excitement at the prospect of attempting to learn to read bubbling up. Jay grabs Doctor’s hand and moves over to the bookshelf. He pulls out one of the books he had flipped through hundreds of times, admiring the images without any context. 

“Read.”

Doctor nods settling onto the cot. Jay scoots into his lap careful not to trip on the chain attached to his leg. Doctor slowly moves his finger below the title, speaking the words aloud. Jay feels a buzz at being able to distinctly see the separate letters that make up the words.

“Snow White and Rose Red.”

Doctor flips the book open and slowly drags his finger beneath each word. Jay absorbs the story of the two sisters, trying to meomorize every detail and the sounds that come from each word. At the end of the story, he makes a soft hum of appreciation for the good ending. He then nervously asks Doctor to repeat it. Doctor flips back to the beginning with a hum. Jay begins to whisper, repeating each word that the larger says. Doctor slows down, giving him enough time to say each word. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Glasses! They are important! One thing that needs to be considered if someone is having trouble reading is their eyesight. This can be missed in kids and dismissed as them being not as quick on picking up reading. Also get their ears checked!! I have opinions!!!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amaimáketos- irrisitable ancient greek ( pronuncatio- ah-mu-eye-mu-ah-keh-taws)  
> mon apprenti- my apprentice- french  
> mon petit docteur- my little doctor  
> Fratrem te amo- I love you brother-latin  
> Et je t'aime mon petit frère- and i love you my little brother- french

049 watches as Jay works to scratch out letters of the alphabet, distinct and clear. The small doctor still has a little trouble remembering the noises for each one and writing them correctly. But it was a vast improvement. The little glasses that he had given to Jay three days ago rest on the small doctor’s beak. They have a long ribbon that allows them to hang from Jay’s neck when the small bird is not attempting to read. 049 can vaguely recall getting the glasses to help look a very tiny print, but Jay certainly needs them more than he ever did. He continues reading through his journal, letting memories trickle in. Vague bits of early learning and travels, the beginning of the disease taking over the land. 

He lets his mind wrap around vaguely familiar faces pulling them closer in his mind. Names are still gone, but the faces are clearer. He even can sort of recall the mask. A name drifts across his mind, Amaim áketos. He winces. This is important he can tell. His eyes open to drift over the page he has open in his journal. There is a sketch of the mask. The mask who’s name is  Amaim áketos, according to the drifting memory. He had found Amaimáketos in an empty abandoned field, weeds thick around the white mask. They had become companions, or at least he knows that is what the mask claims. Amaimáketos and Corbiau, the traveling duo. He winces, rubing at his head to attempt to dispel the pain. Jay grabs his free hand, causing 049 to return from the mental strain.

“Are you well?”

“Yes. Just recalling some things.”

Jay glances at the open page.

“Herr Mask?”

“Yes. I think his name may have been Amaimáketos.”

“Like your name was Corbiau?”

049 winces slightly once more. Jay makes an apologetic noise with a pat of his hand. 049 hums in reply.

“Yes. A old, old name. From a long time ago. Maybe it will be mine again with time.”

“When Doctor is well.”

Jay says with a bright voice full of confidence. 049 lets out a soft laugh. 

“It is a nice thought.”

049 replies. A look of concentration crosses the small doctor’s eyes. 

“Show me.”

“Hmm?”

“Write name.”

“What about your name, do you not wish to learn to write it?”

Jay clicks, fiddling with his gloves.

“All.”

049 lets out a noise of consideration. 

“Alright.”

He walks to the white board, picking up the marker. He starts with Jay’s name, as it is shorter than his own. He draws each letter larger than normal, telling Jay each letter and pronunciation in his name. Jay coos over it, carefully writing the name on the sheet of paper in his slightly messy handwriting. 049 looks at it and nods apprvongly. 

“That is your name.”

“My name. Jay. J. A. Y. Jay.”

The small doctor starts to bounce, standing up and grapes the taller doctor’s hand.

“Yours. Show, please.”

“Of course.”

He returns to the board, wipes it clean and gives himself a second to recall the exact spelling. He writes it out slowly, saying each letter as he had with Jay’s. The small doctor follows along, scratching it down.

“Kore-bee-you?”

Doctor nods at the hesitant pronunciation. He glances at his apprentice’s paper nodding at the writing. 

“Good job mon apprenti! Your writing is getting clearer.”

“More! More!”

Jay begs tapping his paper in excitement. 049 shows him how to write other names, like Amaimáketos, Doctor, and Herr Mask. They ask Dr. Baker to give each letter of his name to see if Jay can remeber them and write it down. 049 feels delighted at the little doctor’s progress. 

Later in the day, after they had read through another book and had worked on other things the two settle in for bed. It was rather odd. He had not slept much before coming to stay with Jay, believing that he had no need of it. But it seems to aid in his memory. He hums at the pleasant warmth pooling in his veins at the soft happy croons that Jay releases as he slips into sleep. 

\-----------------

Jay sits up, checking that Doctor is asleep. He takes the blaket netihe of them use and puts it over the table, careful to make sure that the hidden eyes of the room cannot see below the table. He scoots under and then pulls out the new stones he had found when he was out in the woods. He positions them infront of him, pulling out a pewter cross to place between them. He closes his eyes and whispers an old latin prayer rubbing his hands over each one. Jay feels something shift, the stones becoming able to ward off illness. He repeats the prayer and breaths a deep calming breath. It had been a while since he had felt this tingle in his hands. Jay freezes when he hears movement in the room. 

“Mon petit docteur?”

Doctor’s words are slurring slightly. Jay quickly tucks all the items together into his bag and pushes himself out from beneath the table. Doctor tiredly blinks at him, yawning tiredly. He scoots back over to the larger doctor. Doctor lifts the smaller up, curling his arms around Jay’s torso and hums pleasantly. Jay nuzzles against the larger, feeling pleased. It was far more pleasant to sleep feeling safe and surrounded by a loved one. His brain pauses. Oh. A loved one. He supposes one of the best descriptors for Doctor is a loved one. A confidant, a teacher, a brother. Jay decides to say something. Amis had always warned that any day could be the last and words of love were not to be withheld for too long. Probably was why Amis had always been quick to apologise.

“Doctor.”

“Hmm?”

“Fratrem te amo.”

He whispers, looking up at the larger doctor’s face. Doctor cracks an eye open, and pulls Jay up to tuck him beneath his beak.

“Et je t'aime mon petit frère.”

Jay feels a pleasant glow filling his body. Oh to be loved. He closes his eyes with a broad grin dancing over his beak. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MEOMORIES AND LOVE!!! what we all need. Anywho! Thank you so much for reading!! I hope everyone has a lovely holiday!!!!!!! I really appreciate all of the comments and kudos!!!!!!


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nein-no-german  
> mon petit apprenti- my small apprentice-french  
> Maître Corbiau-master corbiau-french  
> puer parvus non plorat- do not cry little child-latin  
> te amo- I love you-latin  
> bellum et morbus veniunt- War and sickness come-latin  
> te amo- I love you-latin  
> nox et dies veniunt- night and day come-latin  
> te amo- I love you-latin  
> per id omne-through it all-latin  
> te amo- I love you-latin

Jay carefully attaches the sheet of paper with his name and a small drawing of himself to the wall beside the other images and names he had made. He looks back to Doctor, who nods in approval. His handwriting had gotten much better and his knowledge of reading vocabulary had increased ten times over. He twirls, tripping over the chain. Doctor catches him, gently steadying him. Jay trills appreciatively. The speaker crackles with a voice that Jay has come to know is Dr. Kates.

“049, prepare for extraction. It's time for you to return to your room.”

Jay freezes, feeling a bitter sadness coming over his stomach. 

“Nein. Doctor stay!” 

He says petulantly, wrapping his arms around Doctor. Doctor lightly rubs his back.

“It will be alright mon petit apprenti.”

Jay clings tighter to grey robs, burying his face. He does not want to be alone again! Having Doctor nearby made being trapped so much more tolerable. He can smell the lavender filtering into the room. No!

“Maître Corbiau, please.”

He begs. Doctor leans down and carefully detaches his hands. He then is lifted up into the other’s arms. It starts as a gentle hum, but then the taller doctor begins to sing softly. 

“Puer parvus non plorat. Te amo. Bellum et morbus veniunt. Te amo. Nox et dies veniunt. Te amo. Per id omne, te amo.”

Jay holds on tight as Doctor carefully holds him and repeats the words before gingerly putting Jay onto the cot.

“It will be fine. I will be seeing you later.”

Doctor looks him in the eye as he says this. Jay nods, feeling tears in his eyes. He hears the promise ringing in the tired voice of the taller. 

“Stay well Doctor”

Jay mumbles, tugging Doctor into one last hug, knowing that the other has to leave no matter what either of them want. 

“I will. Keep safe mon petit apprenti.”

Jay nods in agreement and hugs his knees to his chest as the taller doctor begins to sway from the lavender. He watches on with sadness as the other is collared and taken away. Jay rests his beak on his knees, tears dripping from his eyes. He blankly stares at the far wall, even when Dr. Baker enters his cell a little later. 

“049-J?”

The small bird remains silent, feeling a hollow pit in his stomach. The researcher comes closer.

“I'm going to undo your chain.”

Jay continues staring off into the distance as the researcher removes the cuff. Jay startles slightly when a hand comes to rest on his shoulder. 

“You know you will be seeing 049 again, right?”

Jay nods slowly, misery still bubbling within. He twists and takes the hand on his shoulder, moving to hold it with both of his own. 

“It will be fine.”

Jay echos Doctor’s words. Dr. Baker nods, squeezing his hand.

“Yes. It will be. Would it help to take your mind off the situation?”

Jay nods slowy. Dr. Baker lets him stay clinging to one hand as he reaches out with another to pull over a coloring book and a box of crayons. Jay absently flips it open and stares blankly for a second. He then comes up with an idea. 

“Can deviler?”

“You want to send something to 049?”

He lets out apleased trill at being understood, before pulling a blank piece of paper out and getting to work on it.

“I'm sure it would be alright if it was a drawing of some sort.”

Jay bobs his head as he works still holding tight to the researchers hand. It was not as comforting as Doctor’s hand but wards off complete distress. Jay is careful as he writes a short message above the drawing, sounding out the letters to himself. He folds it with care and then hands it over to Dr. Baker, releasing the researcher's hand. He then goes to curl up in the corner for a bit, to sulk and sleep away his distress. Dr. Baker makes a half movement to comfort him, but fails to follow through, instead rising and leaving the small SCP on his own. 

\------------------------------

Dr. Baker sighs as he sits in the lunchroom. Dr. Kates sits down beside him in the same manner they had spent the last two weeks during shared breaks.

“How is 049 handling the separation?”

Baker asks, curious if the larger plague doctor is handling the situation any better than Jay after three days.

“He’s not as interested in experiments, just going through the motions without saying anything. He then just stares off into the distance or sleeps for the rest of the time. He has never slept so much. We timed one instance and it was 26 hours.”

“That’s… concerning. Sounds like he might have some sort of depression. 049-J has been oddly quiet not even doing his normal activities or trying to read.”

Dr. Baker pauses as Dr. Smith plops down beside Dr. Kates. 

“Heyo! How are the bird boys?”

“Alive but a little upset at their separation. How is the mask?”

Dr. Kate’s answers. 

“Oh he’s just swell, living it up with Broadway musicals for the last two days. Say, you think the higher ups would approve a triple test with both birds and Mr. Goopy?”

Dr. Baker sighs, a little off put by her casual nicknames for the SCP who really should be referred to by their numbers. But he then speaks up.

“Maybe. I know we still are trying to figure out all of their origins. The most concrete information we have seems to only pop up during cross tests.”

Dr. Baker muses aloud, pulling out the small pebble to roll between his fingers. Dr. Kates raises an eyebrow at his behavior. Smith simply claps her hands before adjusting her glasses.

“Awesome, I’ll take care of submitting the form. Maybe it’ll help break the birds out of their funk. I know 035 will be excited if it gets approved.”

“Hmm.”

Baker makes a noncommittal noise. Kates then asks about what kind of plays 035 seems to like the most while Smith asks after any information they had managed to glean during the two week cross test. Dr. Baker sits in silence, but it feels a lot like hanging out with good friends, not like sitting with overly chatty work colleagues. Dr. Smith gives some ideas about potential ways to improve 049 and 049-J’s moods with cross testing and after a little prodding Dr. Baker pipes up with some of the lesser known musicals he had seen. Dr. Kates proposes theories about what each SCP might enjoy doing in down time. All in all it is one of the more enjoyable lunch breaks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof poor babys. But the cross test couldnt be forever sadly. Ah well. We got some researchers making big plans tho! So exciting! Side note the latin song is one I wrote and actually sang. It was interesting trying to sing in latin again for the first time in like 3 years? 3 years yeah.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kleiner-little-german  
> Iterum-again!-latin  
> secundus- second- latin

049 stares at the wall trying to push himself into doing something, anything other than laying on his bed. He sighs tiredly and rises slightly to sit in his bed. He puffs out a breath, absently flipping through his journal before setting it aside. He stands and moves to his desk, only to sit down and do nothing. Intellectually, he knows he should be working on his cure. Analyzing things, or mixing formulas. But, his being aches with weariness and nothing seems possible. Everything seems like it would be too much. Too difficult. He pulls out the pebble Jay had given him, rubbing it slowly. It makes him feel a little better. The speaker then crackles with Dr. Kates voice.

“We have a message from Jay. It just got finished being reviewed. Please remain at the desk.”

He feels a touch of excitement as he nods. His hand clenches around the pebble and watches as Dr. Kates opens the door and gently places a piece of paper onto the bookshelf. When the door closes 049 rises and goes over to the note. He opens it up and feels a wave of joy at the small drawing of himself and Jay, with the words ‘Miss you Doctor. Stay well.’ He takes the note and a small nail and pins it to the wall. He hums happily and then turns to the window.

“Can I send back a letter?”

“Sure. It’ll have to be checked before it is delivered.”

“That is acceptable.”

049 pulls out a sheet of paper and writes a short and simple message. He deposits it on the shelf. Dr. Kates re-enters and takes the note. 049 can feel some of his energy return to him and decides to do a little bit of work. He pulls out the small jar with the moss and beak that he had gotten from Jay. Now was as good a time as any to get to work analyzing it. He slowly takes a piece off and puts it into a vial with a little water. He then begins to boil it, jotting down his observations as the water gradually changes colors.

\---------------

Jay absently fiddles with his crayon not really wanting to do anything. He puffs out air, roling over. He glances at the note Doctor had sent and nods quietly to himself. It would be okay. Maybe he should work on reading so that he can impress Doctor next time he sees him. He pulls out one of the books full of short tales and pulls on the spectacles. Jay slowly begins to sound the words out working hard to understand it. He adjusts the glass to better see the letters. 

Halfway through the storybook, there is a chime. Jay marks his place and lets the glasses slide from his beak to hang around his neck. He walks over to wall and opens the cashe. There is a stack of square paper and a small book. He looks to the window with trill of confusion.

“That book has instructions on how to do origami.”

Jay flips open the book, looking at the pictures, and tries to figure it out. He then decides to try something.

“Help me?”

He looks to the window, holding out the small book, putting as much confusion in his voice as he can. No one had been in his room for five days and he wants some company. Plus he also is having a little trouble looking at the small text. He decides to press a little more, directly talking to the researcher he knows and likes.

“Dr. Baker? Please? Kleiner letters.”

The speaker crackles. 

“Alright, give me a second.”

There is a touch of hesitation in the voice, but Jay decides to focus on the agreement, trilling happily. Dr. Baker opens the door, shutting it tightly behind himself. Jay stays still, not wanting to spook the man. Dr. Baker walks over and Jay hands him the book. The small doctor takes the square paper stack and plops down on the floor. Dr. Baker sits down near him and opens the small book. The researcher sucks in a breath and then calmly begins reading out the instructions. Jay patiently listens, absorbing the information and the pictures as Dr. Baker shows them to him. He picks up a sheet of paper and passes one over to the researcher. Dr. Baker makes a soft noise of protest but Jay ignores it. He slowly folds the paper carefully studying his taller companion’s movements and trying to copy them. The other notices and begins talking through the folds. Jay bobs his head, following along. They end up with two messy little turtles. Jay chitters over them excitedly, twirling his around in his hands. He looks up to the other grinning widely.

“Iterum!”

“What?”

Jay narrows his eyes in thought trying to pull the English word to mind.

“Do-over? Fold? New turtle! A secundus.”

He says tapping his turtle gently. Dr. Baker seems to understand and nods. They make a few more turtles and then they transfer to other folds, making new animals.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bois fining things to do in the absence of the other. Ahh. I loosely based this off how I feel sometimes, when you should be doing something but you mind is like, no, id rather not. Also, I’m still trying to figure out how to draw Jay with glasses! I just haven’t figured out the best way to do so.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Und ihnen?- and you (formal) german  
> Spaß-fun-german  
> Te amo-i love you-latin  
> sed-but-latin  
> Danke-thank you-german  
> Immortuos-undead-latin

Jay tilts his head as they walk down the hallway. He really hopes they are taking him to visit Doctor. But as he glances about, he notices that they are close to Herr Mask’s room. While he likes the mask, he had just hoped to see the taller doctor. Jay sits down at the table giving a small wave. He looks to the third chair with some confusion. 

“Hey, Jay! How are you doing?”

“I am well! Und ihnen?”

“I’m pretty good! They’ve been showing me all sorts of broadway shows.”

“Spaß.”

Jay twists to look as he hears the door open. He bounces out of his chair as Doctor is pushed into the room. He hurries over and wraps his arms around Doctor’s lower robes. Doctor sways slightly before leaning down and picking him up. 

“Te amo.”

A soft whisper from the taller doctor as he sways his way over to the table. Jay clings tightly, feeling a burst of warmth in his stomach. 

“Hey! Where’s my hug Doc?”

Herr Mask asks in a lilting laughing tone. Doctor blinks tiredly as he sits down. 

“You do not deserve a hug, Amai.”

Herr Mask makes a noise of surprise.

“That’s an old nickname Doc.”

“Mm. Indeed. I recalled it…. The other day.”

His sentence is broken by a yawn. Jay twists so that he can see the mask while sitting in Doctor’s lap. 

“So they decided on a triple cross-testing? Super weird.”

“Yes sed good!”

Jay chirps in response to Herr Mask’s words.

“Was not saying it was bad, buddy.”  
The mask says in response, waving his hand through the air. Doctor hums wrapping his arms loosely around Jay.

“Indeed it is not.”

“Aww did you miss me Doc?”

Jay hears Doctor snort. The mask jokes a little more.

“Admit it Doc!”

“If it helps you at night Amai.”

The mask throws his head back in a laugh. Jay snuggles back into Doctor, pleased with the friendly atmosphere. 

“Aww. Ah well. So, any idea about what we are supposed to be discussing?”

“I am unsure.”

“Me not either.”

Jay glances up when he hears the speaker crackle. 

"We would like you to discuss any thoughts about each other."

A female voice echoes out 

"Oh sure, Dr. Smith. I think Doc is very driven and Jay is fun to be around."

Jay grins at this.

"Danke! You are also good to be near."

The mask laughs.

“Quiet the complement. What about you Doc? Anything you wanna say about me?”

Jay glances back up at Doctor who hums in thought.

“I find you brash and a little too forward at times. But other times I can see why we were traveling companions. Your company is not unbearable.”

The mask chuckles to himself. 

“Thats good to hear. So, your memory is returning?”

“In pieces. I know my name and yours. But most of our travels are lost or a haze. I have my notes, but some of them make little sense without context to offer support.”

“Yikes bud. Wanna give me a chance to look over anything? Im sure I could remember an adventure or two of ours.”

Doctor seems to consider the offer. Jay clicks and pats one of the arms encirciling his waist. 

“I want to hear story. Please.”

“Look, the little guy wants to hear of our exploits! How can you say no Doc?”

The mask jokingly says and Doctor bows his head in concession. The taller scp pulls out his notebook and flips it over to a specific page and then offers it over. Herr Mask looks over the art and the scratchy writing, humming a little. 

“The town of Broken creek. That was a wild place. Looked pretty normal from the outside. But at night they had a big issue with the dead. You were facinated by the walking corpses, got a lot of samples and stuff the mornings after we fought them through the night. You settled on a final solution of tourching the corpses during the day and buring the ashes six feet deep.”

Herr Mask then leaps into a more detailed account of one of the sleepless nights, dramatically describing the two of them alone, patrolling eerily silent dirt streets. He moves his hands as he describes the fight in which all sorts of tools were used to fight. Jay bounces in excitement, hanging onto every word. Herr Mask raises a hand and sweeps it down, mimicking his own motion in the story of swinging a torch down onto a shambling, moaning corpse. Jay claps as the story ends as Doctor leans slightly back. 

“Oh. Broken Creek. That was in our second year.”

Herr Mask nods eagerly.

“Yes. Do you rember?”

“The people there offered us a cart and donkey as thanks because they had no money to spare.”

“Yep. And you said no, only taking the donkey after they pressed you.”

“Oh. You named the donkey Immortuos, because you, Amai, are irreverant.”

“Aww, you know me so well Doc.”

Jay grins happily at the friendly banter. 

“Mm. I seem to recall your irreverance getting us into a lot of trouble.”

The mask seems to beam.

“But you always got us right back out Cor’.”

“I am not sure that is true. There was…. Ah, it is beyond my mind. The place with the pure white stallions?”

Doctor narrows his eyes, and Jay recognizes that he is reaching out for a memory. The mask nods quickly. 

“Yeah, that was pretty bad. You were in prison for like three days.”

“I think it was longer.”

“Mmm. No. I am the one without memory problems. I get to say what happened.”

Jay practically bursts when Doctor chuckles. The mask seems extremely pleased with himself. 

“For now you win Amai. But this victory shall not stand the winds of time.”

“I don’t want it to. It's good to have pieces of you back Doc.”

“I… Thank you.”

Conversation shifts away from the topic of memory. Jay is able to chime in more, especially when describing making paper turtles to the two curious taller scps. Doctor searches through his bag and pulls out a blank piece of paper so that Jay can show off the new skill. They end the cross-test all in high spirits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. The doctor and the mask getting to be friends again. (my true intentions come to light lol). But yeah, 035 is probably really excited to finally have his friend back. I know I always enjoy reuniting with people. Anyway! Thank you for all of the kudos! Thank you also for the reviews! I really enjoy talking with everyone!


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nicht Elter - not parent-german  
> ich habe Angst- i am afraid-german

Life goes on within the Foundation, with cross-testing occurring on a weekly basis between 049 and 049-J. 049-J also has weekly visits with 035, with 049 accompanying him every other week. Jay slowly works up to reading all of the children’s books in his room. 049 gets more of his memory back and 035 has fewer violent outbursts. A month passes in relative peace for the three scps and the research teams that work with them. 

\--------

049 hums as he works through a brain puzzle. Dr. Kates felt that working on brain puzzles would help with his memory along with the increased amount of sleep he had been getting lately. Jay had pushed him to pursue finding his memory and 049 had decided to slow his own research to focus on healing himself. A doctor that is well can help far more patients than one that is ill. He stretches his arms before focusing back on the work before him.

049 tenses as he feels something shift. He can not exactly put his finger on it. Tension floods his body and he slowly rises to face the door, feeling the need to grab a weapon to face, something. He hisses slightly.

“049, what are you doing?”

“There is something… Something is not right.”

He is not sure how to explain the chill spiraling down his spine that has him reaching into his bag for a scalpel to hold tight. The air cools and he can hear a yell beyond his door. There is a sudden gust of wind within his room causing 049 to take a small step back while raising the scalpel. A towering being fades into existence, long blue robes stirring in a remaining bout of wind. 049 watches with narrowed eyes as the large being begins to speak.

“Oh! Oh pooh. You’re not the right person. Though you do sorta smell of him, but not enough to be him.”

“Excuse me? Who are you?”

“Zimniy Veter. I'm looking for my kid. Who you apparently have been hanging around.”

“I am afraid I have not met anyone who shares a name with you. You may be mistaken.”

049 says, hands clenching around his scalpel. The only persons he had spent significant time with in recent weeks are Jay and Amai. And he is fairly sure Amai has no parents. What did this Zimniy want? If he wanted something with Jay… 049 feels a bubble of protectiveness. 

“Mmmm nope. I can smell the winter magic clinging to your robes.”

Zimniy moves closer and 049 retreats once more, his back pressing against the wall.

“Don’t lie to  _ me _ .”

There is a menacing tone filling the other’s voice now matched by darkening eyes and a twisting frown. 049 straightens his back.

“I do not know who you are looking for. I cannot lie about which I do not know anything about.”

049 bites back, refusing to bend to a stranger's attempts to intimidate. A grin flashes across the other’s face.

“A spine. Very nice. Mm. I'll take you with me.”

“Excuse you?”

049 says with a slight snap in his voice. Zimniy shows his sharp teeth and claps his hands together. 049 suddenly cannot breathe, cannot see, cannot move. The world is gone. He can feel winds swirling about his being, but none enters his lungs. All of a sudden it is over and he collapses against a wall. He chokes in air, wildly looking around. They are in Jay’s room now, the small doctor standing on the other side looking terrified with Zimniy slowly approaching him in an intimidating manner. 049 sucks in all the air he can and leaps across the room to tackle the strange being. Jay makes a shriek of surprise and darts away from the two. 049 drives his scalpel down but the body is suddenly not there to be stabbed. A swirl of cold air and Zimniy is standing over 049. The doctor quickly pulls himself up and slides to be standing in front of Jay.

“Oh! So you do know my son! Delightful!”

049 feels Jay latching on to the back of his robes as the being approaches once more.

“I do not! Nicht Elter. Doctor! Doctor, ich habe Angst.”

049 hisses at Zimniy. 

“If you are what you claim, and you have any decency as a parent, you will stop frightening your child.”

“While your stance against me is charming, I’m going to have to ask you to step aside.”

049 stays in position. Jay pokes out from behind him and chucks what looks to be a pewter cross at Zimniy. The being doubles over and howls. 049 makes a quick decision and scoops up the smaller doctor. He then busts down the door and makes his way out into the hall. He needs to get to Amai. He cannot handle whatever Zimniy is. The tall doctor dashes down the hall, ignoring the shouts around him and the alarms that are blaring. He forces his way into 035’s room, desperation fueling his motions. A female researcher is sitting across from the mask when 049 makes his way into the room. His old travel companion quickly becomes concerned to the surface.

“Doc?”

“There is something after Jay.” 

049 says as he backs toward a corner of the room. Jay is tightly holding on, eyes wide in fear. The taller doctor can feel the same chill slithering up his spine as 035 goes to ask more questions. Zimniy is suddenly standing in the room, blue robes swishing gently about him. 049 hisses and 035 rises from his seat slowly.

“This brave shtick was amusing at first but I am really not interested in it anymore. Give me my kid.”

“Bold of you to walk into my room and make demands of  _ my _ companions.”

035 says, slowly dragging his wooden fingers against the table as he tilts his head. 049 can hear the threat in his voice and feels a bit of calm roll over him. He could vaguely recall 035 getting them out of jams before, and knew that the other is rather powerful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SQUARE UP BOIS!!! WHOOOT WHOOT! Also Zimniy Veter is winter wind in russian. I think.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waldgeist- forest spirit-german  
> Chernyy- black- russian  
> Mon petit docteur- my little doctor-french  
> “Es tut mir leid!- I am sorry!-german  
> sed-but-latin

Jay feels fear in the pit of his stomach, ugly and twitching. He does not know this spirit that is claiming him as a son. He tightens his hold on Doctor as Herr Mask stands steady in front of the both of them. He can feel power in the air, hissing and creaking. Some of it is cold and piercing while other parts felt inky and dark. Both the spirit and Herr Mask seem to be evaluating each other. Looking for weaknesses, perhaps.

“Who are  _ you _ ?”

The spirit asks in a scathing tone. 

“Mm. I am many things. But you can call me 035. Mind telling me why you are here, terrorizing  _ my doctors.” _

Jay shivers but watches on in silence. Doctor seems to have calmed in Herr Mask’s presence so Jay tries to calm a little. The spirit straightens and snarls. 

“I am Zimniy Veter! I have waited long enough to see  _ my child.  _ That Waldgeist never let me and then he was surrounded by those  _ doctors _ . And then I got distracted. But I found him and I want him.”

The mask huffs. 

“Well, that’s just too bad. I found him first. Finders keepers. So if you would kindly get the f*ck out, that would be just lovely.” 

Jay flinches slightly at the swear. He immediately feels guilt pressing up against his fear. He should be doing something, not just letting Herr Mask and Doctor stand up for him. He could normally cure and fight on. But something… Something about being claimed as a son of this demon-like being froze him. Was he some sort of satan spawn? The thought claws at his ability to respond. Ziminy takes another step forward and the room grows colder and darker. The slug on the walls drips down, tendrils beginning to form out of the ground. 

“No.”

Ice shards swirl in the wind swishing around the spirit’s robes. Jay clutches tighter to Doctor. The mask tilts his head and slowly raises his arm, hand held in a loose fist. 

“I suggest you rethink your stance, wind spirit. I don’t give away what is  _ mine  _ easily.” 

There is a howl of blizzard winds after Herr Mask’s jab. The two launch into battle with Doctor scrambling back into a corner as ice and corrupted slime is flung back and forth. Jay watches as Herr Mask ducks beneath a large gust of frosty wind and launches a large black tentacle to strike at the blue robes. The two combatants dance around each other. The mask pokes and jabs verbally along with his physical strikes.

“You don’t even know the first thing about the little doctor!”

“He is  _ my son! _ ”

“What’s his name, huh? If he's yours, you should know, right?”

The last word is accompanied with a particular sharpness. Jay watches on, wanting to see, wanting to know. The spirit’s only response is a grunt as he ducks beneath a swinging tentacle. Oh. Jay is unsure if he had truly wanted there to be a reply. Maybe some small little part of him… No. He did not want this being who hurt his brother and his friend to have any strong claim on his soul. Names were power. 

“I thought not. You suck at fatherhood. Officially. You don’t know his name, you scare the kid on the first meeting, and you violently attack his brother. Get out!”

Herr Mask spits this last line with a deep growl of fury. The spirit seems to be put off guard by the sudden purple glow emanating from the mask. At this moment agents storm into the room, guns drawn. The spirit glances around and raises his arms.

“Fine. You get to keep him for now. I’ll be back, Chernyy Demon.”

“Mmmhmm. Don’t let the door hit ya where the dog shoulda bit ya, *sshole.”

The other then vanished in a sudden dusting of frost and Jay feels himself slowly un-tensing. The mask ignores the agents in the room and walks over to the two doctors. 

“Jay? Corbiau?”

The mask asks, voice shifted from its dark anger to a soft caring. Jay still finds his voice frozen but slowly reaches out an arm. Doctor gently hands him over to the drippy mask while responding. 

“I am fine. Thank you, Amai. Sincerely.”

“Of course Doc. I’ve always said I have your back. Just cause you don’t remember everything doesn’t mean I’ve given up on you.”

Jay hooks his arm around Herr Mask, clinging tightly. The small doctor tucks his beak in the crook of the mask's neck, trying to breathe in calm and safety. The mask rubs slow circles into his back as the two taller scps speak. They all ignore the agents that seem more concerned with trying to figure out Ziminy’s disappearing act than with trying to get the two doctors back to their cells. Jay stays quiet, voice still locked away. He tries to press through, mentally clawing at the icy silence. Doctor seems to sense something, murmuring some reassurance to Jay. The smaller doctor moves his head slightly to show that he is listening. 

“Mon petit docteur?”

He can feel attention from both scps focusing in on him. He lets out a soft huff but makes no noise. He cannot. Herr Mask gently adjusts him so that he is facing outwards.

“Jay?”

The mask asks. Jay softly chirps. He then hiccups. And then he sobs. 

“Es tut mir leid! This is all my fault. Bad.”

Doctor immediately begins to reassure him.

"It is not your fault. Did you plan this?"

"No, sed…"

The mask chimes in

"Did you wish for it?"

"No, sed…"

Doctor speaks again.

"Can you control who you may be related to?"

"No…"

"Then you are not to blame."

Doctor says, calm and sure. Jay finds himself nodding along to the sureness of the statement. The mask speaks up again.

"Personally, I'm going to blame the wind spirit for breaking in. That was pretty rude."

Jay lets out a soft giggle at the Mask's words. Calling the incident rude is an understatement. Relief swirls through him at the calm acceptance that he finds in both Herr Mask and Doctor. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooof, mask is very possessive of his friends. But hey, it ended well. For now! Also, Dr. Smith is fine. Who do you think alerted the guards that Zimniy was in 035s cell??


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sed-but-latin  
> mon petit apprenti.- my little apprentice-french

049 finishes describing what being transported by Zimniy had felt like to Dr. Kates. He rolls the pebble beneath his fingers. It had not been pleasant, choking on a lack of air. The researcher is still jotting down notes on what he had said.

"Is Jay alright?"

049 finds himself asking, spinning the pebble slightly.

"Hmm? Oh. Yes. I spoke with Dr. Baker this morning and he seems to be recovering well. They made origami cranes after Jay returned to his room."

049 finds himself relaxing at this. He scoops the stone up into a tight fist. Dr. Kates wraps up the interview leaving 049 to sit alone and think over things. He rubs the pebble again and gently slips it back into his bag. 049 rises and grabs a book off of his shelf. He begins to read through the medical book, trying to keep his mind off of Jay. He hopes the small bird is well. The tall doctor slips into a slight meditative state, skimming through the book but not really taking in any of the information. A memory slips in. 

It had been a stormy day with bitterly cold wind and slicing rain. He had been driving a carriage while chatting with Amai. They were between towns and had gotten stuck in that storm. They looked for shelter as they went but none seemed to make itself apparent. One of the wheels had slipped, 049 members. It had caused the cart to shift and then fall as the earth gave way due to the heavy amount of water. His leg had gotten pinned and his face had been forced into the muddy earth. It had been hard to breathe and fear had bubbled up as he heard the rushing of water and the crashing of thunder. 

049 blinks out of the trance and pulls out his notebook to write down the memory. His hands shake slightly and he sucks in a deep breath. Ah. Not pleasant. He raises his hands to lower his hood and begins to run his fingers through his feathers on his head. He finds the motion soothing and helps him refocus on the here and now. He shakes his head and stretches a little before settling down onto his bed. Maybe sleep will help settle his anxieties. 

\-------------------------------------------------

Jay kicks his legs as he sits at the desk in his room, working on his letters slowly and carefully. He puts down the pencil and begins to rub his aching wrists. He huffs at the pain, irritated that the repetitive motions required to learn writing hurt. Dr. Baker comes into his room and Jay bounces up. It is time to see Doctor! He had not seen the other for a few days since the Zimniy incident. The Foundation had been concerned about potential risk so they had delayed any cross-testing. But it seems like approval from higher-ups had finally come. Jay happily lets himself be handcuffed. He begins to chatter with Dr. Baker as they travel down the hall. Dr. Baker looks pretty tired and gives short answers. Jay can tell that the other is not irritated with him and that his responses are because of his tiredness. He grabs onto the researcher’s hand and feels a bubble of warmth as Dr. Baker shoots him a soft small smile. Dr. Baker then speaks up.

“You're okay, right?”

Jay blinks and then responds.

“I was scared sed I am less now.”

“Good. The Foundation doesn’t… We’re not,” Dr. Baker struggles, “We don’t want you to get hurt.”

Jay can tell that Dr. Baker, while speaking as the Foundation, really meant that he, Dr. Baker did not want Jay hurt. The small doctor has a feeling of giddiness in his stomach. He gives the researcher’s hand a little squeeze. 

“Danke for concern.”

“Oh...Yeah. Sure..”

They fall into silence as they walk through the last stretch of the hallway. Jay bounces on the balls of his feet as Dr. Baker releases him from the cuffs and lets him into Doctor’s room. Jay rushes forwards as Doctor stoops down and opens his arms wide for a hug. Ah. relief. He smiles happily at the warm comfort. 

“It is good to see you mon petit apprenti.”

“Good see you too Doctor.”

Jay pulls back slightly and grins at his friend. 

“What do today?”

“I have a new cadaver. Come. Let us get started.”

Doctor leads him over to the table and then lifts him to sit at his normal spot. They begin working and Jay feels relief at the normalcy of it. He carefully hands over tools as Doctor needs them and pays close attention to the other’s actions. There is a small tickle of something in the back of his mind but he ignores it.

\--------------------------

035 lets his mind wander away from the play that he is watching. He does not have a body right now so he cannot fiddle with his hands. That Ziminy fellow had felt like a far stronger version of Jay’s presence. Far colder and much older. Some sort of winter wind spirit, if his personal experience is anything to base things off of. He had said as much to Dr. Smith in the meeting afterward. Amai pursues this line of thought a little deeper. Does this mean that Jay has any related powers? If the little one was part human the potential was there but could be limited to longevity and running a little cold. But, that would not explain his mossy makeup. Amia rolls the thought over in his head. Far be it for him to try to force an origin out of Jay, his own being shrouded in dark mystery to the Foundation, even after the years of questions and research. However, it makes for an interesting thought experiment, trying to puzzle out what the little guy’s origin story might be. And perhaps any potential powers that could come in handy in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More memories, but these suck a bit. Ooops. Sorry doc. Ah Dr. Baker is struggling with caring about the little dude. Oof. people are both in a state of misery and recovery. Delightful. Also! 035 plotting?? And referring to himself as Amai for the first time in a while??? OH NO. PLOT> \  
> Thanks for reading! Thank you for all the comments and kudos! Its lovely to know that people enjoy the story! As always, I can be reached at my tumblr!


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paltonier-scounderal- Old french  
> tricheor- deceiver Old french

Jay rubs his arms pushing down the urge to cure himself of being in the Foundation and run wildly through the forest. He pulls out his knife and begins cleaning it, vaguely hoping the motions will distract the weird urges. The small doctor tilts the blade back and forth, watching the light reflect off of it. He twirls it and then tucks it away, pulling out his shoe instead. Slowly he works his way through his bag, cleaning, and organizing to distract himself from the buzz in the back of his head. He clicks and trills to himself, telling a small story to his room in his first language. After his bag is clean, he begins to straighten his room chattering on without really paying too much attention to what he is saying. The buzzing dies down and he is able to settle down enough to go to sleep.

\--------

049 blinks at the researcher tiredly, thinking through the question.

“Define “strange” behavior Dr. Kates. Jay does many things that most would say are strange but are normal for him.”

Dr. Kates taps his clipboard in thought.

“That’s fair. Let me think. Has he been showcasing any behavior that might be seen as related to the anomalous individual that entered the facility last week?”

“That still is quite open-ended Dr. Kates. I might say that his tendency to resolve medical issues with undue violence is related to that  _ paltonier _ . Or perhaps his tendency to trill may come from the  _ tricheor.  _ I do not wish to associate mon petit frère with that  _ thing _ . Stop asking me to Dr. Kates. Jay very obviously had never seen him before and he made it clear that it is the first time that he had seen him. I would like to stop answering questions on this matter.”

He folds his hands into each other and stares down the man across from him. The other looks vaguely uncomfortable but had been working with him long enough to push it down.

“Okay, 049. We might need to speak about this again, but we can stop for now.”

“Thank you.”

049 settles back in his chair, having not realized that he had tightened his shoulders. If it were up to him, Jay and that paltonier would never be mentioned together in a sentence again. He answers a few more questions about other things, not really paying too much attention. Then the Dr. comes to a question that causes him to refocus. 

“How is your memory coming along? Do you feel like the puzzles have helped?” 

“It has come back a little more. But…,” he pauses considering his words, “I feel like it was improving faster when I was with Jay throughout the day.”

“Well, you were sleeping a lot more back then. Would you like us to provide some lavender?”

“I do not think that would help, as it is not a natural rest, rather an influenced one.”

“But it might help.”

The doctor says and 049 bites down a sigh, knowing that this will now develop into a form of testing. It seems that constant drowsiness was in his future. Dr. Kates’ mind seems to be made upon the matter and 049 steeples his hands. 

“Fine. Shall we say one week of testing with lavender? If it helps, I will not oppose further use. If not, we stop.”

“Seems fair enough. We’ll start today.”

“Lovely.”

There is a tint of sarcasm in his voice and Dr. Kates shoots him a small grin. 049 rolls his eyes as Dr. Kates jots down a few more things. 

“You know we want to help you 049, right?”

“Mm. I know that you believe your actions are helpful.”

Dr. Kates tilts his head.

“What do you think would be helpful?”

049 blinks at the question. But the response is quick to his mind.

“A return to the conditions in which I was recovering more quickly. But I know that you will not be able to do so.”

Dr. Kates gives a sympathetic smile and 049 looks away. He does not want the sympathy. 

\----------------------------

Jay pulls the glasses to sit comfortably on his beak as he starts working his way through a new book that he had been provided. It was thicker than he was used to, with fewer pictures. He sounds out the words, slowly processing the tale. It involved magic and an evil queen. The story is fascinating and his mind conjures up images to match the tale. He leans back after a while, thinking back to his own past, which the tale is reminding him of. He thinks of the lake that had been near the town that the Dracones Curans had spent a lot of their time. Jay slips the glass from his eyes to stare off into the distance. The water had always looked lovely in the dawn, and in the night when it reflected the stars. Oh to go back there and to be without the stresses of an unwanted father and weird tickling sensations in the back of his mind. He huffs and moves back to reading, not wanting to dwell on the negatives.

Jay works his way through the rest of the story and then moves on to go color, working to distract himself. Tomorrow he would see Doctor. Dr. Baker had said so. He just needed to make it to tomorrow. He hums a half-forgotten melody from his past, letting the notes fill his mind. Jay kicks his legs in time to the song, careful to color in the lines with the crayons. He feels twitchy and rises to pace his room, trying to expel the energy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmm bois having to deal with different types of stress. Don't worry they'll be FiNe.


	28. Chapter 28

049 yawns, stretching his arms. The thrice repeated lavender-induced sleep has left him exhausted, his bones and muscle aching. He stumbles his way to his desk but finds he lacks the energy to do anything else. He leans on his desk wearily for a long time, mind relatively empty of thoughts, beyond a few slurred unconnected words and feelings. The doctor rubs at his beak, struggling against the exhaustion. But it holds on to him, eventually causing him to fall asleep on the desk. There are no dreams or half-memories to greet him, only darkness, empty of thought. He is awoken sometime later by a small hand gently shaking his shoulder. A few slow blinks and his vision is clear enough to be able to see Jay.

“MMmm?”

“Hallo, Doctor. Are you well?”

049’s only response is a light huff. Jay tugs on his arm, causing him to shakily rise to his feet. The small doctor gently guides 049 to the cot and tugs him down to sit on it. 049 sways slightly and Jay leans against his side. Then Jay helps him lie down, sitting beside him, and begins speaking. The noise is soothing but 049 can not parse out the different words. It has the cadence of an old tale. Jay’s voice is soft and Corbiau can hear love wrapped within it. It reminds him of the youngest days of his youth, sitting by his father as the older man spins a tale by a crackling fire in the midst of winter. Or of his mother gently singing a lullaby. Jay lightly pats his shoulder and Corbiau continues to drift away mentally. He barely registers his use of his own name in his internal monolog for the first time in centuries. The thought bubbles and then gently rolls over his mind like a small wave. Time passes in the dazed state, safe and warm. Corbiau slips into a dream-filled state. 

\-------------------------------

Jay tucks his feet beneath his legs quietly perusing the storybook he had brought with him. Dr. Baker had told him that Doctor had fallen ill due to new testing. He had been brought in to try and solve the issue. After getting the other to bed, he had checked the taller’s temperature and pulse meter as best he could. Doctor was running warm, but not enough for worry. Or at least he is sure it is not enough for worry. He draws on some of the knowledge he remembers from the Dracones Curans. Jay glances over at Doctor and reaches out to adjust the thin blanket. He feels worry coiling in his gut. Why did the Foundation think he could heal Doctor? They had expressed numerous times that they thought him unfit to serve. Jay shakes away the thoughts.

No, he had this. In fact! He has an idea. Jay quietly riffles through his bag, looking for the plant. He pulls out a vial with yellow alyssum in it and pulls his bowl. He grinds the stinky flower and pours in a little bit of water from another vial. Jay softly hums as he mixes, pacing the mixing in time to the beat. When he finishes, Jay pours the mixture into the vial that had been holding water. He then cleans up everything, slipping it all back into his bag, aside from the vial. Pulling out a small piece of cloth, Jay carefully dabs some of the mixture onto the cloth. Jay then moves to hold it near Doctor’s beak. It takes a second, and then the other jerks up, sneezing and blinking rapidly. 

“Jay?”

“Hallo. I woke you up. I was worried. Not act right.”

Doctor sits up blinking rapidly. 

“What did you do?”

Doctor looks around, eyes sharply focusing on the room.

“Yellow alyssum.”

Jay dutifully responds, feeling a bubbly happiness at the sight of his brother recovering from the odd sleep.

“Thank you. I feel far better than I have the last few days.”

Jay tucks himself into the taller’s side, and then asks a question that has been nagging him.

“What did they do?”

Doctor sighs and leans back.

“They wanted to see if repeated lavender-induced sleep would improve my memory recollection. It caused prolonged drowsiness but does not seem to have helped with my memory.”

Jay lets out a small coo of sympathy and gently pats the others leg. Doctor hums in response.

“You awake now.”

“Indeed I am Jay. I feel quite a bit of energy now.”

“Dance?”

Doctor freezes at the question and looks down at Jay. The small doctor looks him in the eyes and rises to his feet, holding out his hands. Jay repeats his request, knowing that movement often helped him feel better. 

“Dance?”

Doctor offers a small laugh in response. Then Doctor takes Jay’s hands and allows himself to be pulled to his feet. Jay begins to sing a folk song with a fast tempo. Another laugh and Doctor joins in, apparently familiar with the lyrics. They spin about the room together a light atmosphere overtaking the room, thoroughly erasing any worry that Jay had held for Doctor. For the first time since the incident, Jay is not thinking about Zimniy or his own origins. He simply feels joy and enjoys the company of his brother. He also is able to ignore the odd tugs at the back of his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dancing is very important to Jay. And to me. The number of times I've grabbed friends' hands and spun them… ah I miss it. Also stinky flower! There's no medical precedent for it helping with drowsiness, but eh I can make my own rules sometimes, right?


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedo- I surrender -latin  
> Bitte-please-german  
> ventus-wind-latin

Jay hisses as Dr. Baker explains the new testing that the Foundation has decided to do. He would rather they stayed away from his insides, thank you very much. Dr. Baker sighs.

“Look, 049-J, the higher-ups want to do these tests to see if they can find a way to track 049-J-Z or Zimniy. If we can tell he’s coming, we can try to stop him. Or even better, we can catch him and make sure he is never an issue again.”

Jay clicks irritably, hating that Dr. Baker’s arguments make sense. He does not want to go through the tests again. But it seems like there is no other option. He looks away and then bends his head in submission, closing his eyes.

“Dedo.”

He whispers giving in with a breath. Dr. Baker sighs and then cuffs Jay. They go to a testing room down the hall. Jay fights down the urge to run as he glances about the sterile room and the unfamiliar doctors. He sits on the table and takes a deep breath as he sees the tools that are about to be used on him.

_------------------- 

Jay feels his insides ache as he wraps his arms around his torso. He feels both hollowed out and pained. Jay flops onto his cot and curls into himself. This is the second day of testing, which includes removing pieces of his insides, clumps of moss and tissue, and examining things like temperature and the inside of his beak. His chest hurts with every breath. Tears dribble out of his eyes, and he harshly scrubs them away. Jay nuzzles his face into the cot and tries to push himself into sleep. There was no point in remaining awake and in pain. 

Hours later he is awoken by Dr. Baker, who insists that he eat something and drink some water before he is led from the room to go to a cross test with Herr Mask. Jay grabs onto Dr. Baker’s hand, needing something beyond himself to latch onto to shove away his pain. His other hand wraps around his torso. Dr. Baker makes a noise of concern as Jay wobbles on his feet, but the smaller doctor shoots him a small smile to try to reassurance despite his own concerns. Removal of his insides left him unbalanced, in pain, and more susceptible to evil spirits and plague. But he refused to allow Dr. Baker to see just how bad it was getting. He breathes deeply, straightening his back, and smiles a little brighter.

“I am good. No worry.”

Dr. Baker blinks and a frown settles over his features. Jay focuses on walking straight without any wobbling. They make it to 035’s room and Jay enters after one final concerned look from Dr. Baker. The small doctor makes his way to the table and bites down a sigh of relief as he sits down. Herr Mask tilts his head and Jay instantly knows that he has not hidden his pain well at all.

“Hallo Herr Mask.”

“Hello, Jay. Are you alright?”

“I am fine.”

“Please, I’m not a fool.”

Jay slides down in his chair at this soft reprimand.

“I am hurt. In-side.”

Jay curls his arms about himself, hunching forward to allow the table to press into his stomach. It helps, a little. 

“Did they do something?”

Herr Mask asks with a snarl, looking to the window. Jay lets out a soft coo, getting the mask’s attention back on himself. 

“In-side pulled out. A little.”

“What?”

There is a darker tone and Herr Mask rises, beginning to round the table. Jay feels a little panic. No one beyond the glass had conducted the experiment. They did not deserve the ire of Herr Mask. An ire that could end explosively, based on Jay’s observations during the fight prior.

“Herr! Herr Mask. Bitte, bitte.”

He stumbles out of the seat and sways to stand in front of Herr Mask, arms out wide. Jay feels his insides shift uncomfortably. The other scp pauses and then lifts him up, grip gentle. Jay curls into the hold as Herr Mask walks to the corner of the room and sits down. The mask the whispers to him as they rest in the corner. 

“What happened?”

It is a question that holds the tone of a command. Jay sighs, curling against his pain.

“They pull out in-side. To test. For ventus. Or something?”

Jay tries to communicate what happened but does not have all the words to communicate. 

“Ah.”

There is a growl in the statement. Jay snuggles into the loose hug, not really wanting to think about it. 

“I no want more today. Tell play?”

He asks tiredness overtaking his words. The mask shifts slightly and hums.

“Okay. Yeah. How about this, I’ll keep you here till this body gives out, that way they can’t touch your insides for about a day or so?”

Jay nods, liking the idea of a break. The mask hums and then launches into a long story, that Jay only half listens to as the small doctor slips into a light sleep.

\----------------------

035 slips into the next story, perfectly aware that Jay is asleep and no longer actively listening to him. He watches the door as he lets his black sludge slip across the look ready to spring into action. The intercom crackles and he tenses slightly, hand stilling from rubbing Jay’s back. 

“035, 049-J needs to return to his room.”

Amai hums in fake consideration.

“Nah. I’m going to keep him. He is  _ mine  _ after all.” 

He echoes his own sentiments from the fight with the wind spirit. He lets his eyes flash purple and wraps his arms a little tighter around the sleeping doctor. Amai would not hand him over so easily. The small doctor’s twitches and pained eyes when he had been awake has Amai aching for a fight. He half hopes that they try to send someone in. 

“035.”

There is a threat in the voice, dragging a snort out of Amai as he gently smooths Jay’s robes. They thought mere threatening tones could sway him? Oh how foolish. He adjusts Jay to tuck the bird beneath his chin. Jay lets out a soft chirp, staying asleep despite the noise.

“We will have to use force if you don’t cooperate.”

He vaguely recognizes the voice of Dr. Baker.

“You have been running tests on Jay that have put him into a weakened state. I’m not leaving him without protection.”

Or at the very least, he would protect the kid for as long as he had a body. He stares at the one-way mirror, daring them to enter. They were truly fools if they thought their meddling held no consequence for Jay. Silence takes the room, and Amai figures that they will leave him alone for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops pain. Anyway, remember back when Jay said he didn't like his insides touched? lol now they've been very much messed with. Honestly, I don't like invasive medical stuff, even with them not pulling out guts. Ah well. Hope you enjoyed reading! Thank you everyone for the kudos and comments! It's a delight to read what people think of the story so far. There might be a bit of time between this and the next update cause I got a research paper that needs me to read a hickity heck amount of documents and to write, which makes other writing hard. Stay safe out there! Tootals!


End file.
